Greece and eastern Libya push forward EEZ talks, migration cooperation as Haftar visits Athens

Meeting in Athens

Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis met with Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the General Command of the Libyan National Army and son of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, in Athens on Monday. The visit, Haftar’s first to the Greek capital, follows Gerapetritis’s second trip to Benghazi on 28 March 2026 and confirms a mutual desire to deepen communication channels and a “particularly satisfactory” relationship with eastern Libya, diplomatic sources said. Later in the day Haftar also held talks with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion.

The visit confirms the common will for further strengthening of communication channels and the particularly satisfactory relationship that has been developed with Eastern Libya.

Economic and energy cooperation

Discussions stressed deeper economic ties and investment promotion across several sectors, led by energy, building on a Greek business mission that travelled to Benghazi in January 2026. The two sides also agreed on the need to upgrade maritime and air links between Greece and eastern Libya. The geographic proximity of the two countries and a fragile international geopolitical landscape make mutually beneficial cooperation essential for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, both sides noted.

Migration and coast guard training

Irregular migration was high on Athens’ agenda. Gerapetritis and Haftar agreed to strengthen cooperation with the aim of reducing migrant flows towards Crete and Gavdos. They also underlined the importance of continuing training programmes for Libyan Coast Guard personnel in Greece, preparing a new cycle of training activities and providing technical know-how. The topic follows practical steps already taken; earlier in June Major General Khayri Khalleefah Omar Altameemi, Secretary General of the General Command of the Libyan National Army, visited the Hellenic Military Academy and the Hellenic Coast Guard headquarters in Athens between 10 and 13 June to discuss military and defence cooperation, including specialised training and scholarships for Libyan cadets.

Maritime zone delimitation

Gerapetritis reaffirmed that Greece’s priority remains the delimitation of an Exclusive Economic Zone with Libya, a neighbouring country with opposite coasts, on the basis of the International Law of the Sea as codified in UNCLOS. The meeting took place only five days after Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou led the second round of technical committee talks on maritime zones in Tripoli, keeping the dialogue with the western-based government alive while Athens simultaneously cultivates its ties with the eastern camp.

Priority of Greece remains the delimitation of an exclusive economic zone with Libya, as a genuine neighbouring country with opposite coasts, based on the International Law of the Sea as reflected in UNCLOS.

Greece as a regional interlocutor

The talks also highlighted Greece’s role as a reliable interlocutor within the European Union and at the UN Security Council. Gerapetritis repeated Athens’ steadfast support for a unified and strong Libya, free from third-party interventions. Against the backdrop of an increasingly tense Eastern Mediterranean, both parties described the deepening of Greek-eastern Libyan ties as a pillar of security and prosperity in the wider region.