Last week, the GNU government headed by Abdel-Hamid Dbeibah signed a series of preliminary economic agreements in the hydrocarbon and oil sectors with Turkey in the Libyan capital.

The agreements may also include energy exploration in maritime areas, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a press conference after the signing ceremony.

The deals have deepened the preexisting tensions between Turkey and Greece, which has said that such energy exploration deals infringe on Greek waters.

“We have affirmed that the outgoing GNU in Tripoli does not have the authority to strike any international deals or MoUs and agreed on the necessity for the international community and the United Nations to take a firm and clear stance to protect the legitimacy requirements in Libya,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said today in a presser with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Cairo.

‘UN should not keep silent’

The top Egyptian diplomat called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to “take a firm position regarding the illegitimacy of the outgoing Libyan government” given that the GNU stemmed from an agreement drafted and adopted by the UN.

“The UN should not remain silent regarding the full and honest implementation of what it has adopted and drafted,” Shoukry said.

He added that the UN-overseen Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), from which the GNU stemmed, tasked the Tripoli-based government with ending the transitional period by holding elections, which were set to be held on 24 December 2021.

“This is a responsibility that [the GNU] did not fulfill,” Shoukry said.

He stressed that the mandate of the Libyan GNU ended on 22 June after the end of an 18-month period granted for the GNU in this regard as per the UN-overseen agreement.

Libyan political forces and numerous countries have denounced the deals signed by Ankara and the Tripoli-based government, one of two rival governments in Libya. The European Union said the energy deals signed in this regard infringe on the sovereign rights of third states and is not in line with the UN Law of the Sea.

However, Libyan PM Dbeibah defended the deals, saying they will help Libya continue exploring for oil in its territorial waters in cooperation with other states amid sharp growth in global demand for gas.

During the press conference, Greek FM Dendias denounced the deals as violating the UN-led LPDF, asserting that they harm the Libyan state.

“The Government of National Unity cannot, I repeat, cannot enter into any international agreement in a manner that harms the stability of foreign relations of the Libyan State,” Dendias said.

The Greek FM said the mandate of the Libyan GNU has expired and therefore it does not represent the Libyan people.

“Said government does not have any competence to review or implement previous agreements regarding the future of Libya's external relations,” Dendias stated.

Turkey ‘taking advantage’ of Libya situation

The Greek FM accused Turkey of trying to “take advantage of the turbulent situation in Libya in order to further destabilise the Mediterranean region and establish a regional hegemony.”

Greece had earlier condemned last week’s deals, stressing that any measures that aim to implement the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime demarcation agreement are illegal.

In 2019, Ankara and another former Tripoli-based government signed a controversial maritime border deal with Turkey that granted Ankara access to a contested economic zone in the Mediterranean.

At the time, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus condemned the deal as a stark violation of international maritime laws.

Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have also rejected Turkey’s oil explorations in recent years inside Cypriot territorial waters, deeming them “unlawful and unacceptable.”

During today’s presser, Shoukry said he and Dendias highlighted during their Cairo meeting their commitment to the “fundamental” agreement for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) signed by the two countries in 2020.

“The [2020 deal] complies with international law, has multiple economic benefits for our two countries, and contributes to creating positive cooperation atmospheres in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Shoukry said.

In this regard, Dendias affirmed Greece’s determination and obligation to defend the sovereign rights of Egypt and Greece under their 2020 deal.

Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are members of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), an eight-state economic organisation that aims to maximise use of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Holding Libyan elections

The Egyptian and Greek FMs reiterated support to efforts made to pave the way for holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.

Shoukry reviewed with Dendias Egypt’s efforts to bring the views of Libyan parties closer, including hosting the Libyan Constitutional Track Committee meetings to agree on constitutional arrangements for the country’s elections.

The top Egyptian diplomat also reaffirmed the need for the dismissal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within a specific timeframe.

Egypt, which has supported the holding of long-delayed elections in Libya to end the conflict in the country, has called on all sides to raise the national interests of all Libyans above any narrow considerations.

Egyptian-Greek relations

Shoukry hailed the Egyptian-Greek relations as strategic. Shoukry said he agreed with Dendias on continuing political consultations between the two countries and efforts to enhance their economic and commercial relations, especially in energy and renewable energy sectors.

“This comes in light of the two countries’ keenness to play a pivotal role as a fulcrum for transporting energy via the Mediterranean in a way that achieves joint interests with regard to energy security in our regional surrounding,” the Egyptian FM added.

Dendias said Egypt and Greece are a bridge between Europe and the Arab world and between Europe and Africa, adding that the relations between the two countries are more than just a strategic partnership.

In recent years, Cairo and Athens have been keen to strengthen their relations and cooperation in developing energy resources, combating terrorism, and signing new maritime border agreements along with Cyprus.