(ANSA-AFP) - CAIRO, 07 AGO - Egypt and Greece signed an
agreement Thursday to set up an exclusive economic zone in the
eastern Mediterranean amid regional tensions over energy
resources in the area. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry
announced the deal, which delineates the maritime borders of
both countries, at a Cairo news conference alongside his Greek
counterpart Nikos Dendias. It comes after Turkey last year
signed a deal with the UN-recognised government in Libya on
maritime jurisdiction, with several countries accusing Ankara of
trying to assert its dominance in the region. The deal "allows
Egypt and Greece to move forward in maximising the benefits of
the available resources in the exclusive economic zone for each
of them, especially oil and gas reserves," Shoukry said. Dendias
described it as "historic". "This agreement is the exact
opposite of anything illegitimate like what was signed between
Turkey and Tripoli," he added. Turkey reacted angrily to the
deal inked in Cairo. The "so-called maritime deal" signed by
Greece and Egypt is "null and void," the Turkish foreign
ministry said in a statement. "The so-called delimited areas are
part of Turkey's continental shelf," it said, adding that Ankara
would "not allow any activity in those areas". Egypt, Cyprus and
Greece have denounced a contentious deal, including a security
agreement, signed last year between Ankara and the embattled
Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). Greece said at the
time that it ignored the maritime boundaries of Crete.
(ANSA-AFP).
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