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All 27 EU states reject Libya’s maritime-deal ratification

All 27 EU members backed a formal response rejecting Libya’s ratification of its maritime memorandum with Türkiye. Kaja Kallas said the arrangement cannot create legal consequences for third states. Egypt also rejected any new obligations, while Türkiye defended the agreement’s legality. These October 21 responses follow the parliamentary reversal reported earlier and extend the dispute beyond the vote itself.

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Rows of dark chairs face a grey lectern with a microphone beside a European Union flag in an empty press hall.

All 27 members back the formal EU response

All 27 European Union member states backed a formal response to Libya’s ratification of its maritime memorandum with Türkiye. In a statement on October 21, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed deep regret over the parliamentary decision. The EU maintained that the memorandum infringes third states’ sovereign rights, is inconsistent with the law of the sea and cannot create legal consequences for third states.[1], [2]

Kallas said the bloc’s position had been established in European Council conclusions in December 2019 and repeated in June 2025. The statement identified a strategic EU interest in a stable and secure Eastern Mediterranean and called for respect for member states’ sovereign rights under EU and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.[1]

Kallas also emphasised good-neighbourly relations and progress towards a Cyprus settlement. Türkiye is not a party to the UN sea-law convention; Libya signed it in 1984 but has not ratified it.[1]

Egypt rejects new obligations from ratification

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that ratification created no legal consequences or obligations for Cairo and did not alter its maritime rights. It argued that the memorandum conflicted with the 1982 UN sea-law convention and Egypt’s rights in its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The statement followed a call between Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Greek counterpart.[2]

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said Libya’s vote gave the agreement no additional legal standing and that Athens was pursuing planned diplomatic measures. Asked about extending territorial waters south of Crete, he promised a considered approach without specifying action. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the ratification.[2]

Türkiye defends the deal as EU leaders back Greece and Cyprus

European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and opposition to foreign interference in Libya. Türkiye welcomed the Libyan parliament’s reversal and maintained that the memorandum complied with international law and equity. The October 20 vote had ratified the 2019 agreement and repealed two 2020 rejection measures. The memorandum treats the countries’ exclusive economic zones as sharing a boundary southeast of Crete.[1], [2]

References

  1. News sourceCyprus MailAll 27 EU members oppose ratification of Türkiye–Libya maritime deal↩1↩2↩3↩4
  2. News sourceThe Libya ObserverEU and regional governments reject Libya’s maritime-deal ratification↩1↩2↩3↩4
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