Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badri Abdelati, reiterated Egypt’s categorical opposition to the ratification of the 2019 Turkish-Libyan memorandum during his meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on Friday in Istanbul.
The meeting between the two ministers took place on the sidelines of the R4 consultation mechanism—Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia—with developments in Libya taking center stage in the talks.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
According to the Egyptian side, Abdelati underscored Cairo’s long-standing position in support of Libya’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability.
At the same time, he reiterated Egypt’s commitment to supporting Libya’s state institutions in a manner that safeguards the interests of the Libyan people and meets their expectations.
Categorical Opposition to the Ratification of the 2019
Memorandum Particular emphasis was placed on the issue of the Turkish-Libyan Memorandum, with the Egyptian Foreign Minister reiterating Egypt’s categorical rejection of the ratification of the agreement signed in 2019.
Abdelati underscored the need to respect the principles of international maritime law and the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
As he pointed out, the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf must be carried out in accordance with the principles of justice and equity among states.
Fidan: We Understand Egypt’s Concerns Regarding Libya
For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed his understanding of Egypt’s concerns regarding developments in Libya.
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of continuing consultations, coordination, and joint action to address these concerns.
Fidan also referred to the need to support efforts to achieve security and stability in Libya.
“Completely invalid, it lacks any legal force.”
Prior to the meeting with Hakan Fidan, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badri Abdelati, had once again expressed, during an interview with the Turkish television network TRT, Egypt’s categorical opposition to the Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding, describing the 2019 agreement as “completely null and void and lacking any legal validity.”
According to the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Nader Zaki, Abdelati also addressed developments in the Eastern Mediterranean during his interview.
In this context, he reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of the Libyan House of Representatives’ ratification of of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 between Fayez al-Sarraj and Turkey regarding the delimitation of maritime zones of jurisdiction in the Mediterranean.
The Egyptian minister emphasized that the memorandum is “completely null and void,” produces no legal effect, and that its ratification by the Libyan Parliament has no legal implications for Egypt.
At the same time, he stressed that full respect for the principles of international law and the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is essential, with regard to the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf.
As he pointed out, the delimitation of maritime zones must be based on the principles of justice and fairness.
Condemnation of the attacks on Gulf countries and a call for de-escalation
During the interview, Abdelati also referred to Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and prevent the conflicts from spreading further.
As the Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted, the Egyptian minister reiterated his condemnation of the attacks against the Gulf states, as well as those targeting Saudi Arabia.
At the same time, he emphasized the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflicts in the region from escalating further.
Source: Protothema.gr
