Greece has firmly rejected accusations from Libya’s Foreign Ministry that Athens undermined regional stability by unilaterally opening offshore hydrocarbon blocks in the Mediterranean, asserting that it is merely exercising its sovereign rights under international law.
The diplomatic dispute erupted after Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity condemned Greece’s recent international tender for oil and gas exploration south of Crete.
The Libyan government claimed the move encroaches on maritime zones it considers disputed, issuing a strongly worded statement that labeled the Greek actions a “flagrant violation” of Libya’s sovereignty and urged Athens to reconsider, appealing to long-standing historical ties between the two nations.
Greek government sources swiftly responded, defending the legality of the tender.
A senior official from the Environment and Energy Ministry stated that Greece exercises its sovereign rights in full accordance with international law and the Law of the Sea.
The source added that while Greece would not abandon dialogue, it would always do so within the framework of international legitimacy, describing the Libyan reaction as proof that Greece is not afraid to defend its sovereign claims.
Despite the diplomatic spat, the Greek Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis still plans to visit Libya as scheduled.
The upcoming trip is intended to help restart bilateral talks and address shared concerns such as irregular migration and regional security.
It also comes at a delicate moment for Athens, which aims to block the ratification of the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime agreement in Libya’s legislature—a deal Greece considers illegal and void.
The escalation sparked political backlash in Athens.
Pasok’s foreign affairs spokesman, Mr. Dimitris Mantzos, labeled the Libyan statement a troubling attack on Greece’s sovereign rights and urged the government to respond immediately.
He also called for the urgent convening of parliament’s national defense and foreign affairs committee to assess the rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Syriza issued an even harsher critique, calling the incident a “new diplomatic failure” by the Mitsotakis administration.
In a statement, the left-wing party accused the government of lacking a coherent foreign policy and blamed the crisis on poor planning, especially given that Mr. Gerapetritis’s trip to Libya had already been arranged.
Syriza further criticized what it called the alignment of both Tripoli and Benghazi with revisionist powers seeking to redraw maritime boundaries in the region.
This dispute over Mediterranean energy rights adds to a broader web of diplomatic strains involving Greece, Libya, Turkey, and Egypt.
It emerges amid increased concern over regional power shifts, legal ambiguity in maritime zones, and efforts by outside actors to expand influence through contested deals like the Turkey-Libya pact.