The State Department has come out in favour of resolving maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations, responding to a question about the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum by Libya’s House of Representatives, based in the east of the country.
In its response, the US State Department does not state an explicit position on the memorandum’s legality or the Libyan parliament’s decision. It focuses on the benefits of resolving maritime issues for investment and exploration in the region, while encouraging Greece and Turkey to address their disagreements bilaterally.
“We encourage our partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to resolve their maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations,” it says.
“Resolving maritime issues serves the interests of each side and paves the way for commercial investment and exploration that will benefit the entire Mediterranean region,” it adds.
Referring to Athens and Ankara, the State Department says “Greece and Turkey are both NATO allies. We encourage them to engage in bilateral discussions to address any disagreements they may have.”
Libya’s House of Representatives approved the 2019 memorandum on maritime delimitation between Turkey and Libya on 20 October. Athens rejected the decision, stressing that the memorandum contravenes international law of the sea and violates the sovereign rights of countries in the region.
The European Union also expressed its strong displeasure at the ratification. A statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on 21 October reiterated that the memorandum violates the sovereign rights of third countries, is inconsistent with the law of the sea and cannot have legal effects for third countries.