The State Department described the announcement of the ratification of the Turkey-Libya memorandum by the House of Representatives of eastern Libya as “provocative,” noting that it has increased tensions in the region and emphasizing that the U.S. position on the matter has not changed.
The new statement, issued in response to the newspaper “Kathimerini,” follows the statement made on Wednesday, October 21, in which the U.S. Department of State had encouraged negotiations to resolve maritime disputes, highlighting the economic benefits of a settlement. In its second statement, it explicitly condemned the ratification announcement, while reiterating its call for bilateral dialogue between Greece and Turkey.
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In the interval between the two statements, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had asked the State Department to take a clear public stance against the Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
Specifically, the State Department’s new statement notes that “the announcement of the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum of understanding on maritime delimitation has increased tensions in the region, is not constructive, and is provocative.” Noting that the U.S. position on this issue has not changed, it encourages all countries, “including partners in the Eastern Mediterranean, to resolve maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations and to avoid any provocative behavior.”
Greece and Turkey, the State Department notes, are both NATO allies. “We encourage them to engage in bilateral dialogue to address any disagreements,” it states, adding that the peaceful resolution of such disputes paves the way for commercial investments and research that will benefit the entire region.
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Source: CNA
