Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has restated Cairo’s firm opposition to the ratification of the 2019 maritime memorandum between Turkey and Libya, delivering the message in person to his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Constantinople on Friday, 23 October. Before the meeting, in an interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT, he said the agreement had no legal force whatsoever.
Talks on the sidelines of the R4 mechanism
The two ministers met on the sidelines of the R4 consultation mechanism, which brings together Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Developments in Libya were at the centre of their talks.
According to the Egyptian side, Mr Abdelatty underlined Cairo’s long-standing position in support of the unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability of Libya.
He also reiterated Egypt’s commitment to supporting Libya’s state institutions in a way that safeguards the interests of the Libyan people and meets their aspirations.
Opposition to ratification of the 2019 memorandum
The Egyptian minister placed particular emphasis on the memorandum, restating Egypt’s categorical rejection of the ratification of the agreement signed in 2019.
Mr Abdelatty stressed the need to respect the principles of the international law of the sea and the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
He said the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf boundaries must be carried out in line with the principles of fairness and equity between states.
Fidan responds to Egypt’s concerns
Mr Fidan expressed his understanding of Egypt’s concerns about developments in Libya.
He underlined the importance of continued consultation, coordination and joint action to address those concerns, and referred to the need to support efforts to achieve security and stability in Libya.
Interview with TRT
In his interview with TRT before the meeting, Mr Abdelatty again voiced Egypt’s firm opposition to the memorandum, describing the 2019 agreement as “absolutely void and lacking any legal force”.
According to the official spokesperson of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Nader Zaki, Mr Abdelatty also addressed developments in the Eastern Mediterranean during the interview.
#صوت_الأمة| وزير الخارجية لقناة TRT التركية: مذكرة ترسيم الحدود مع ليبيا باطلة ومعدومة الأثر القانوني https://t.co/Ydldk964yd https://t.co/GX5WKQu81X
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He reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of the ratification by Libya’s House of Representatives of the memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 between Fayez al-Sarraj and Turkey on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction zones in the Mediterranean.
The Egyptian minister said the memorandum is “absolutely void”, produces no legal effect, and that its ratification by the Libyan parliament creates no legal consequences for Egypt.
He stressed that full respect for the principles of international law and the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is essential for the delimitation of the EEZ and the continental shelf, adding that the delimitation of maritime zones must be based on the principles of fairness and equity.
Gulf attacks and call for de-escalation
During the interview, Mr Abdelatty also referred to Egypt’s efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and prevent conflicts from spreading further.
According to the ministry spokesperson, he reiterated Egypt’s condemnation of attacks against Gulf countries, including attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, and stressed the need to step up diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict.
With information from Protothema
