By Gifts Antoniou

An increasingly complex environment is shaping our country’s relations with Libya, as the successive movements of the Libyan authorities in recent weeks have brought Athens to new data and new challenges. The final mosaic in the big picture is the Memorandum of Understanding signed yesterday by the Libyan national oil company with Turkey’s counterpart. According to the announcement by the Libyan National Petroleum Society (NOC), the Turkish Petroleum Society (TRAO) will conduct geological and geophysical surveys in four areas, as well as a two -dimensional seismological study with the time of completion of research and surveillance of the results at the latest.

Yesterday’s move was the last link in a chain of moves, which seems to be no random and convenient. First of all, Ankara’s approach with the general Haftarthe head of the so -called “Benghazi Government”, one of the two poles of power in Libya. Turkey is already maintaining close relations with the temporary government of Tripoli, with which it had signed the Turkish Memorandum. The approach with Haftar was formalized by the news that the Libyan Parliament, based in Benghazi and is controlled by the hawfar, is considering recognizing the Turkish Memorandum, which was rejected until recently.

Followed by both the Tripoli side and Benghazi’s investigations announced by Athens for maritime plots south of Crete, with the Libyan side raising the issue of sovereign rights.

Yesterday’s agreement between NOC and TRAO shows that all that preceded it was aimed at signing the Memorandum of Understanding. Ankara took care, before the signature of investigations proceeded, to ensure that it has the agreement of both Libya’s power poles and that it is discussing with them in the context of them. Turkish.

The first reaction of diplomatic sources in Athens was that based on the map released by the Libyan National Petroleum Company, the midline and the “plots” provided for investigations are followed by it. It was also noted that Greece will not accept any violation of its sovereign rights. Of course, Athens is waiting to see the exact coordinates of the areas granted for investigations to confirm that there is no problem. It is not unnoticed, however, that the delegations of both sides met in Constantinople yesterday with the backdrop of the map of the Turkish Memorandum, as shown in the photos from the meeting. The semantics is obvious. And in practice it will be shown to move Turkish research vessels, which will take over the data collection.

If Libya has granted plots respecting the midline, this implies that there is no willingness to cause additional tension with Athens. Perhaps the concession moved in response to Greek concessions south of Crete, to reflect that there is an active interest in the area. Diplomatic sources reiterate that Athens remains committed to continuing the negotiations for marine zones with Libya, but they point out that this presupposes that the political situation in Libya will be clarified. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritiswill soon visit Libya for contacts with all sides.

The landscape is anything but simple, as it weighs in bilateral relationships and the migratory most. The northern coasts of Eastern Libya are the main place of action of stunning circuits, threatening to turn Gavdos and Crete into basic gates of illegal immigrants in Europe. The issue will be discussed today at the EU Council, as the Prime Minister pointed out yesterday. Kyriakos Mitsotakiswhile Athens looks forward to a coordinated Brussels reaction, but at the same time states that it will not allow uncontrolled action of the circuits, sending two frigates to patrol the territorial waters of Libya.

Mr. Gerapetritis will also accompany the EU Commissioner. For migration, Marcus Brunner, who will travel to Libya, as the Ursula von der Layenon July 8, accompanied by the Ministers of Migration of Greece, Italy and Malta, that is, the countries who have the biggest problem.