The State Department described as provocative the announcement that the eastern Libyan House of Representatives had ratified the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, saying it had heightened tensions in the region and stressing that the US position on the issue had not changed.
The new statement, issued in response to the newspaper Kathimerini, follows comments made on Wednesday, 21 October, in which the US State Department had encouraged negotiations to resolve maritime disputes, highlighting the economic benefits of a settlement.
In its second statement, it explicitly condemns the announcement of the ratification, while reiterating its call for bilateral dialogue between Greece and Turkey.
Between the two statements, the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC), in a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had called on the State Department to take a clear public position against the Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
The State Department’s new statement reads in full:
“The announcement of the ratification of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum of understanding on maritime delimitation has heightened tensions in the region, is not constructive and is provocative. Our position on this issue has not changed.
We encourage all countries, including partners in the Eastern Mediterranean, to resolve maritime disputes through good-faith negotiations and to avoid any provocative behaviour.
Greece and Turkey are both NATO allies. We encourage them to engage in bilateral dialogue to address any disagreements.
The peaceful resolution of such disputes paves the way for trade, investment and exploration that will benefit the entire region.”