Libya’s acting Foreign Minister Taher al-Baour has defended the country’s maritime agreement with Türkiye, saying the deal is not aimed at any other state and that both nations have the sovereign authority to sign such arrangements.
In an interview broadcast Monday by Al Jazeera, al-Baour said the agreement, originally signed in 2019 by Libya’s then-Government of National Accord, had recently been ratified by the country’s House of Representatives.
“This agreement is certainly not directed against any country,” he said, describing it as a maritime cooperation accord between Libya and Türkiye. “Libya and Türkiye are sovereign states, and they have the right to enter into any agreements,” he added.
Al-Baour said Libya had no intention of fueling regional tensions and acknowledged the objections raised by countries opposing the agreement. “We respect the concerns of the countries that rejected this agreement, but the door is certainly open to dialogue and discussions with everyone to reach the best possible solution,” he said.
The minister said Libya wanted the Mediterranean region to develop into a hub for stability, growth and development rather than conflict. He also reiterated Tripoli’s readiness to engage with other countries and respond to their questions about the deal.
On Oct. 20, Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously approved the maritime boundary agreement, abandoning its earlier opposition. The lawmakers also repealed resolutions adopted in 2020 that rejected agreements with Türkiye and called for political ties with Ankara to be severed.
Türkiye and Libya signed the maritime jurisdiction agreement in November 2019, setting out the boundaries of their respective maritime areas in the Mediterranean.
Ankara welcomed the Libyan parliament’s decision, saying the memorandum protects the two countries’ mutual rights and interests in line with international law and principles of equity. Greece, Egypt and the Greek Cypriot administration, however, rejected the ratification.
