The US State Department has described the announced ratification of the Turkey-Libya maritime agreement by eastern Libya’s House of Representatives as provocative, saying it has heightened regional tensions and reaffirming that Washington’s position on the issue remains unchanged.
The latest statement, issued in response to a question from Greek newspaper Kathimerini, follows an earlier statement on Wednesday, 21 October, in which the State Department encouraged negotiations to resolve maritime disputes, highlighting the economic benefits of a settlement.
In its second response, Washington explicitly criticised the announced ratification while again calling for bilateral dialogue between Greece and Turkey.
Between the two statements, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) had written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the State Department to take a clear public position against the Turkey-Libya maritime agreement.
In its latest statement, the State Department said: “The announcement of the ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum of understanding on maritime delimitation has increased tensions in the region, is unconstructive and is provocative.”
Reaffirming that the US position on the matter had not changed, it encouraged all countries, “including partners in the Eastern Mediterranean, to resolve maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations and avoid any provocative behaviour”.
The State Department also noted that Greece and Turkey are both NATO allies.
“We encourage them to engage in bilateral dialogue to address any disagreements,” it said.
It added that the peaceful resolution of such disputes would pave the way for commercial investment and exploration that would benefit the entire region.
