Egypt's newly appointed ambassador to Greece, Murad Murad, has publicly condemned the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum...

Egypt's newly appointed ambassador to Greece, Murad Murad, has publicly condemned the Turkish-Libyan maritime memorandum and ruled out any maritime boundary deal between Cairo and Ankara. Speaking to the Greek press, Murad said Egypt has no interest in negotiating a maritime zone agreement with Turkey. "The Turks are trying to justify to us the agreement they made with the Libyans, but in no way are we discussing a Turkish-Egyptian agreement. We condemn the Turkish-Libyan memorandum," he said. The remarks came after Ankara's Defense Ministry pitched Cairo on a potential deal, claiming Egypt could gain over 15,000 square kilometers of additional maritime jurisdiction compared to any arrangement it could reach with Greece. Egypt rejected the offer outright. Murad described the relationship between Greece and Egypt as one built on "friendship and sincere cooperation," and pointed to the 2020 maritime boundary agreement between Athens and Cairo as the foundation of their partnership. That deal extended Egypt's maritime rights by roughly 38,000 square kilometers, according to Greece. The ambassador also signaled openness to extending that 2020 agreement further, including toward the Kastellorizo area, though he noted no date had been set for new talks. He said the political will to continue was already on the table publicly, and that was what mattered. The Turkish-Libyan memorandum has been widely rejected across the region. The EU declared it null and void, saying it violates the sovereign rights of third states and does not comply with international maritime law. Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and the EU issued a joint statement at the United Nations on October 26 rejecting the deal. Israel has also condemned it twice, with the Israeli ambassador to Athens saying no agreement between two countries can undermine the legitimate rights of a third. #Greece #Egypt #EasternMediterranean