Egypt Watch

The government of National Unity in Libya rejects Egypt’s decision to restrict western maritime borders

On Friday, the Government of National Unity in Libya rejected Egypt’s decision to restrict its western maritime borders. A statement issued by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Egyptian decision constitutes a violation of the rights of the Libyans and the Libyan territorial waters, considering that the distinction is unfair under international law, adding that “the demarcation of the borders between the two countries must be carried out through negotiations that guarantee the interests of the two parties and respect the principle of equality.”

The Egyptian decision stipulates that the borders of the territorial waters of Egypt start from point No. 1 of the Egyptian-Libyan land border, for a distance of 12 nautical miles, all the way to point No. 8. In addition, the line of the western maritime borders of Egypt starts from point No. 8 in a northerly direction, parallel to meridian 25 east, reaching point No. 9.

The Egyptian decision aims to define the country’s maritime borders to allow oil companies to conduct exploration. Last Wednesday, the government appointed by the House of Representatives, recognized by Egypt and many Arab countries, called on the Egyptian, Greek and Turkish governments not to take any unilateral steps about defining and demarcating maritime borders. The Government of National Unity, recognized by the United Nations, also called on its Egyptian counterpart to reach an agreement through negotiations that guarantee the interests of both parties.