25 June 2025: Both Libyan governments accuse Greece of violating Libyan sovereignty over oil exploration south of Crete
This week we look at tensions between Libya and Greece over Mediterranean oil exploration, as well as international support at the Berlin and UNSC meetings plus continued tensions in Tripoli.
Dear Libya Analysis LLC Newsletter subscribers,
Each week, we will continue to share for free our traditional newsletter content (one article from our Weekly Report on Libya and its overall table of contents, plus teasers and info on our other products) via Substack.
In addition, readers interested in accessing additional Libya content can subscribe to the Premium (pay for) version of the Substack which gives access to two additional subscriber-only Libya articles per week, drawn from our Weekly Report. These articles will cover key developments and analysis from that week, whether in the political, economic, security or energy sectors. The premium subscription also gives access to our premium archives.
We also have a weekly Substack for our non-profit sister project the Libya Security Monitor (LSM) which you can access here.
Both Libyan governments accuse Greece of violating Libyan sovereignty over oil exploration south of Crete; GNS confirms 2019 MoU being reviewed
Incident: On 19 June, the Government of National Stability (GNS) Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) strongly objected to Greece’s recent move to open an international tender for oil and gas exploration in Mediterranean waters south of Crete, an area both nations claim as their own. In a statement, the GNS criticized the decision as a ‘blatant violation’ of Libya’s sovereign rights, citing unresolved maritime boundaries between the two countries. It expressed concern that such ‘unilateral actions’ could escalate regional tensions and called for disputes to be settled through legal dialogue and mutual respect.
The GNS emphasized its commitment to cooperation in the Mediterranean and urged Greece to prioritize negotiation over provocation. It reaffirmed its sovereign right to explore and develop natural resources within its internationally recognized maritime territories and referenced the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the legal basis for these claims. The GNS also warned that any exploration activities carried out in contested zones or Libyan-controlled waters without prior authorization would be viewed as a violation of international law and an act of aggression.
Later that day, the Government of National Unity (GNU) Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement asserting that some of the offshore blocks near Crete lie within contested maritime zones, considering this as ‘a clear violation of Libya’s sovereign rights.’ The GNU strongly opposed any exploration or drilling in those areas without a prior legal agreement in line with international law, urging Greek authorities to examine the depth of the historical relations between the two countries and to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic negotiations that safeguard the interests of all parties involved.
On 21 June, during the third regular GNS cabinet meeting of this year held in Derna, GNS PM Osama Hammad confirmed that he had submitted the 2019 maritime border MoU between Libya and Turkey to the House of Representatives (HoR) for review and ratification. He emphasized that this move is aimed at reinforcing Libya’s sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), consistent with the 1982 UNCLOS. A technical committee has also been formed under Cabinet Resolution No. 122 (2025) to reassess Libya's maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean and review all maritime agreements signed since 2002, with an emphasis on international law, good neighbourly relations, and maintaining diplomatic relations, particularly with Egypt.
Hammad strongly criticized Greece’s 12 June call for international tenders to explore hydrocarbons south of Crete, claiming part of the area overlaps Libya’s EEZ. He called the move a clear violation of Libya’s sovereign rights and warned that Libya may invite international firms to operate in the disputed areas if Greece continues its unilateral actions.
On 22 June, the GNS MFA formally summoned the Greek Consul General in Benghazi, Agapios Kalognoumis, to deliver a memorandum of protest in response to Greece. In the memorandum any unilateral actions that could undermine Libya’s sovereignty are firmly rejected. It emphasized the importance of resuming dialogue and pursuing negotiations in line with international law and the principles of good neighbourliness. The Ministry also called on the Greek authorities to promptly clarify the motives behind these provocative measures.
On 23 June, the GNU MFA summoned the Greek Ambassador to protest Greece’s actions in disputed maritime zones. The Ministry accused Greece of violating international maritime law and infringing on Libya’s sovereignty, and stated it is taking diplomatic measures to defend its legal rights.
Comment: On 12 June, Greece announced in Issue No. C/2025/3335 of the Official European Journal an international call for bids for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licenses in marine areas south of Crete. The Official Journal of the European Union is the official publication (gazette) for EU legal acts, other acts and official information from EU institutions. This area aligns with Greece's declared EEZ based on the equidistance principle but overlaps with Libya's claimed EEZ as per its 2019 MoU with Turkey. Essentially, the Libya-Turkey MoU extends the EEZ of Libya and Turkey so that they meet between the north-eastern coast of Libya and the south-western coast of Turkey, ignoring the Greek island of Crete in the area.
On 2 June, the HoR decided to form a technical committee to study the Libyan-Turkish MoU, which was signed in November 2019 by the GNU. The Mou was never approved by the HoR and it was condemned internationally, especially by Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt who view it as infringing on their EEZs. Turkey is actively pursuing new oil and gas exploration agreements with Libya, including in the offshore area covered by the MoU. The move by the GNS and HoR to reconsider the MoU comes as the eastern authorities are deepening ties to Turkey. However, approval of the MoU would not be welcomed by Egypt, the biggest backer of the LNA and eastern authorities.
This development has sparked serious concern in Greece and Athens launched high-level diplomatic efforts in Libya in the wake of it. Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis is expected to visit Tripoli and Benghazi in the first week of July. Among others, he will speak with HoR Speaker Aqeela Saleh. At the Greek parliament, Gerapetritis said Greece was willing to discuss with Libya the delimitation of maritime zones within the framework of international law.
Significance: The GNS’s clear and strong rejection of Greece’s explorations south of Crete and Hammad’s confirmation that he wants to the HoR to ratify the Libya-Turkey maritime MoU marks a notable geo-political shift from the eastern authorities towards Turkey. Although both the GNS and GNU have adopted the same position regarding this issue, claiming to defend Libya’s sovereign rights over the area, both are likely doing so for different reasons.
It seems likely the GNS statements were a move designed to please Turkey, as well as to protect Libya’s own rights. This suggests that the eastern authorities see the Turkey MoU as being in their own interests as they expect to reap the benefits from the deal in the future. Hammad may also hope to force Greece to hold official talks with the GNS - this would be the first official talks between the GNS and a European country.
Although the GNU supports the maritime agreement, and signed a subsequent 2022 hydrocarbons MoU with Turkey on the basis of the 2019 MoU, the timing of the GNU statement suggests it was more of a reaction to the GNS statement than to the Greek tender. GNU PM Dabaiba probably decided that his government cannot remain silent on this issue after the GNS officially protested against it.
It is likely that Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis will present a proposal for the delimitation of the continental shelf/EEZ between the two countries to the GNU and the HoR, possibly also to the GNS. In case the subsequent negotiations have no result, the dispute could be referred to The Hague. Egypt is also likely to have significant influence over how the HoR handles the review and ratification of the MoU as it will want to ensure that it doesn’t impact its own EEZ and maritime areas.
Covered in our Premium Version:
Tripoli remains tense as Dabaiba says militias no longer secure the capital while violent incidents and anti-GNU protests continue
Incident: This week, PM Dabaiba and PC head al-Menfi have continued to focus on the narrative that they are implementing new security arrangements in Tripoli and disbanding the militias. On 18 June, PM Dabaiba chaired a security meeting to review the rollout of a new plan aimed at fully transferring control of Tripoli’s security to state institutions. According to him, for the first time since 2011, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) is now solely responsible for securing the capital. Dabaiba hailed this as a major victory for the state, made possible by dismantling powerful militias. The plan includes redeploying security forces to 187 strategic sites formerly held by armed groups, reinforcing state authority, and protecting key institutions like the CBL and the ministries.
Tetteh gathers international support for UNSMIL plan through Berlin meeting, but delays presenting a political roadmap to UNSC, prolonging the uncertainty
Incident: The International Follow Up Committee on Libya (IFCL) held a plenary meeting in Berlin this week to discuss Libya’s political process and future. On 20 June, Germany hosted the IFCL meeting in Berlin, co-chaired by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) Hanna Tetteh and Ambassador Christian Buck. The meeting was convened at ‘Senior Official level’, meaning the ambassadorial level in the case of foreign governments, and was the first in the plenary format since October 2021. The statement by the IFCL Co-Chairs reaffirmed the participants’ ‘full respect of and commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and national unity of Libya, and reiterated their will to continue supporting Libya and its people. They underlined their commitment to refrain from interference in the internal affairs of Libya and urged all international actors to do the same.’
For more...
The contents page for this week’s Libya-Analysis Weekly Report is set out below:
If you are interested in subscribing to our Weekly Report and would like to receive more information about the product, please contact Rhiannon Smith, Managing Director, at Rhi@Libya-Analysis.com.
Spotlight on... Humanitarian Sector Reports
Libya-Analysis offers bespoke reports on the humanitarian sector. Our team has close links with NGOs based in Libya and Europe and can report on the latest news for clients interested in the humanitarian sector, including migration and refugees as well as access to food, fuel and cash.
For more information, please contact Rhiannon Smith, Managing Director, at Rhi@Libya-Analysis.com.
From our Blog..
On 23 June, RFI published a report titled ‘Libya's Al-Khadim airbase becomes a hub for Russian arms in the Sahel’. According to the report, Russia is relying on the Al-Khadim base near Benghazi to...read more
To read our other blog posts, click here.
About Libya-Analysis
Libya-Analysis® helps clients understand Libya. We are a boutique consultancy with years of experience producing nuanced, evidence-based research, analysis, and forecasting on Libya. Our strategic insights are used by multinational companies, international organisations, and democratic governments to make sense of the latest political, economic, commercial, and security developments in Libya.
Tripoli remains tense as Dabaiba says militias no longer secure the capital while violent incidents and anti-GNU protests continue
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Libya-Analysis to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.