Al-Koni links ratification to defending maritime rights
LIBYA – Presidential Council member Musa Al-Koni has said the memorandum of understanding signed between Libya and Turkey in 2019 on delimiting maritime jurisdiction areas is based on international law and established custom, describing the House of Representatives’ ratification of it as a “very correct” step that came at the right time.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Thursday, Al-Koni said the Libyan parliament’s failure to ratify the memorandum earlier was due to internal political disputes.
A long-awaited step
Al-Koni added: “This step had been awaited for a long time, and defending the rights of the Libyan people is among parliament’s priorities. We see the step it has now taken as coming at exactly the right time.”
Dispute with Greece and European objection
Commenting on the objections of Greece and the European Union to the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum, Al-Koni said the dispute between Libya and Greece was not new. “From the start, we did not want to seize anyone’s rights; we demanded only our own rights, which are guaranteed by international agreements and custom. That is why the House of Representatives’ decision came at exactly the right time,” he said.
He added: “We have been unable to sign an agreement with Greece since the era of [the late leader Muammar] Gaddafi, because it obstructed that by demanding a larger share than its due, whereas there is a specific and clear share for each country, including Libya, Greece, Egypt and Turkey.”
Libya held to its maritime claims before 2011
Al-Koni concluded: “Greece’s objection is natural, because it is demanding more than its right, and that is the difference between us: we demand our rights, while it demands more than it deserves. We held to this position even before 2011, and it is entirely natural for Libya to defend its rights today.”
