Libya Threatens to Halt Talks Over Greek Oil Exploration South of Crete

Libya has formally warned Greece that its planned offshore energy exploration south of Crete could lead to the suspension of bilateral maritime boundary talks, in a diplomatic note sent to Athens on August 24, 2026.

Tripoli's note protests seismic surveys and exploration activities in maritime areas that the two countries have not yet officially delimited. Libya claims the Greek operations constitute a violation of its continental shelf, pointing to maritime zones it submitted to the United Nations on May 27, 2025. The Libyan side also argues that both countries had previously agreed to avoid actions that could derail negotiations.

Libya claims the Greek operations constitute a violation of its continental shelf.

The Greek licensing process, run by the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company, covers eight offshore areas including South of Crete 1, South of Crete 2, and Southwest of Crete. It attracted international attention after American energy giant Chevron entered exploration projects in the region. Greece draws its zone boundaries using the median line principle under Law 4001/2011, in the absence of a bilateral delimitation deal.

At the heart of the dispute is the 2019 Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum, which Greece flatly rejects. Athens argues the deal illegally ignores the maritime entitlements of Greek islands, including Crete and Gavdos. Libya, however, has used the memorandum as a basis for its own maximalist EEZ claims, submitting a unilateral maritime map to the UN that overlaps with areas Greece considers its own continental shelf.

The political situation inside Libya adds another layer of uncertainty. Aguila Saleh, who led Libya's House of Representatives for 12 years and had maintained working relations with Athens while opposing the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, has been replaced by a figure tied to Saddam Haftar's inner circle. That shift could push eastern Libya closer to Ankara's position and raise the possibility of the House of Representatives formally ratifying the memorandum, something that would complicate Greece's legal footing in future negotiations.

Greece now faces the challenge of protecting its energy plans and sovereign maritime claims while keeping diplomatic channels with Tripoli open, against a backdrop of competing regional alliances and unresolved boundaries.