Egypt formally rejected Libya’s recent maritime claims in the Mediterranean Sea, submitting a strong protest to the United Nations, Cypriot News Agency reported.
In a note dated 8 September 2025, Egypt’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations expressed its objection to the boundaries outlined in Libya’s earlier communications of 27 May and 20 June 2025.
Cairo stated that the outer limits of the Libyan continental shelf, as declared, overlap with Egypt’s western maritime boundary in the Mediterranean and therefore cannot be recognized.
The statement further denounced Libya’s declared eastern maritime boundary, stressing that it falls entirely within Egypt’s maritime zone, violating Egypt’s sovereignty and established rights under international law.
Egypt reaffirmed its determination to protect its sovereign rights in the Mediterranean and called Libya’s declarations inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Egypt also rejected Libya’s objection to Greece’s international tender for hydrocarbon exploration south of Crete, insisting that no party can make claims that disregard Egypt’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Furthermore, Cairo strongly opposed the 25 June 2025 memorandum of understanding between the Libyan National Oil Corporation and the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, which outlined plans for offshore studies and seismic surveys.
Egypt stated that one of the designated areas overlaps with its maritime boundary, rendering the agreement invalid and without legal effect.
The note reiterated Egypt’s rejection of earlier maritime agreements between Libya and Türkiye, including the controversial 2019 and 2022 memoranda of understanding on maritime rights and hydrocarbon cooperation, which Egypt regards as legally void.
Despite its objections, Egypt emphasized its readiness to cooperate and negotiate with neighboring states in good faith to reach fair and lawful solutions on maritime boundary delimitation.
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