June 10, 2020
Greece and Italy sign agreement for delimitation of maritime zones
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, and his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio, signed a historic agreement on the delimitation of the maritime zones between Greece and Italy in Athens, on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Read their statements here.
“Τogether we have made Greece bigger,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias stated on Wednesday in an interview with SKAI TV, referring to the agreement for the delimitation of the maritime zones between Greece and Italy signed on Tuesday. Read more here.
All islands have the same rights as continental territory, as established by the International Law of the Sea, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt told the Delphi Economic Forum, conducted online, on Wednesday. Pyatt also noted that the memorandum signed between Turkey and Libya cannot remove anything from Greece and was, additionally, unhelpful and provocative. On the other hand, he called the Greek-Italian agreement signed on Tuesday over maritime zone delineation in the Ionian Sea “the right way to do things, inclusive of all parties”. Read more here.
What is the significance of the maritime zone delimitation agreement between Greece and Italy?
The importance of the agreement was highlighted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in a statement yesterday in which he stressed: “This is a good day for Greece, Italy, Europe and the entire Mediterranean. Athens and Rome have delimited the Exclusive Economic Zones in the waters that connect the two neighboring countries, thus removing, in a constructive way, a 40-year pending issue. The agreement is in full compliance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The agreement describes the extent of the maritime zones that can be exploited. Furthermore, the agreement recognizes sovereign rights in all land areas both in the mainland and the islands. It is a model of cooperation and good neighborly relations.
It is also a decisive contribution to peace and stability in our region. Greece and Italy have shown how two neighbors can transform the sea around them into calm waters of progress and development. I hope that similar agreements will be reached in the region, among other countries as well. «In his statement after the signing of the agreement, the Minister Nikos Dendias underlined that: «The constant pursuit of our country remains to determine maritime zones with all our neighbors, within the framework of international law. To this end, the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea provides all necessary instruments. Indeed, the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea in general consolidates customary International law, yet neither selectively, nor arbitrarily as certain nations are attempting to make use of it. The delimitation of maritime zones can be reached in accordance with International Law, with valid agreements. Not with agreements that are non-existent”.
What exactly were the agreements signed on Tuesday, June 9, between Greece and Italy?
The major and most significant agreement is regarding the delimitation of maritime zones between the two states. This is the first agreement signed by our country in regards to EEZ and has been concluded in accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Therefore, the Agreement confirms the right of the islands to maritime zones. It also confirms the median line of the 1977 agreement on the delimitation of the continental shelf between Greece and Italy as a borderline between the Greek-Italian EEZ. Consequently, that median line will also apply to the superjacent waters of the continental shelf. This is an extremely important agreement, a development of historical significance for our country.
– A Joint Declaration of Greece and Italy on the Resources of the Mediterranean was also signed. With this declaration, the two states express their commitment to a balanced and sustainable management of these resources and agree to hold consultations to assess the impact of various factors on the existing practices of fishermen of the two states. (Sustainable management).
-Finally, a Joint Notification was signed, addressed to the European Commission, requesting the amendment of the regulation on common fisheries policy so that, when Greece decides to expand its maritime zone to 12 nm, the existing fishing activity of Italian fishermen in the area between 6 and 12 n.m., which is now within international waters, will be maintained. What is of paramount importance is the reference, within the Agreement, of the right to expand everywhere our territorial sea. The existing fishing rights of Italian fishermen are described restrictively, both in terms of the number of vessels and the species they can fish, which are excluded from the species Greek fishermen can fish.
