Libya expands its maritime borders

Libya’s “national unity” government, headed by Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, established a new maritime zone, which analysts considered a page of a new chapter in the intense race over energy sources in the East Med basin, Asharq Al Awsat reports.

According to the report, the demarcation of maritime borders constitutes a point of fundamental regional disagreement with Turkiye, on the one hand, and Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt, on the other.

Signs of the disagreement appeared since the signing of a maritime border agreement between the Tripoli government and Turkiye in 2019.

Observers believe this path will continue, especially after the unity government announced it would establish a maritime zone adjacent to its borders in the Mediterranean.

The new Libyan decision expands the authority of maritime borders from 12 to 24 nautical miles.

The Foreign Ministry of the Dbebeih government justified this by saying the region falls within Libya’s sovereign rights over the area adjacent to its territorial waters and does not violate international law or infringe on the maritime borders of other countries.

The head of the Land and Maritime Boundaries Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Al-Harari, asserted that the new law confirms Tunisia’s eastern marine border.

He explained that the map attached to the draft law supports his country’s position against Egypt’s decision (595) to define its western maritime borders in the Mediterranean Sea.

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