[Ritzau Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe/via Reuters]
The Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean violates the sovereign rights of third countries, the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.
Cited by state-run news agency AMNA, Kallas reiterated the deal “is not consistent with customary law based on the law of the sea and cannot produce legal consequences for third States.”
“The EU has a strategic interest in a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and continues to expect all countries to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all Member States, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” she continued.
“Refraining from unilateral actions that run counter to the interests of the EU and violate international law and the sovereign rights of member states remains a key prerequisite for ensuring a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean,” she added.