The Greek government presented a bill to Parliament to extend the western limit of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 nautical miles, after negotiations with its neighbors Italy and Albania.
The bill, which was introduced late Friday, would expand the western extent of Greece’s territorial waters from the current six nautical miles. This does not affect the status of the waters in the Aegean Sea off the southern and eastern coasts of Greece, as Athens is locked in a dispute with Turkey, its NATO partner, over the maritime borders.
Greece and Italy have already signed an agreement on the maritime boundaries to establish an exclusive economic zone in the Ionian Sea, while Albania has not yet reached an agreement on all the details related to their maritime borders, and referred the case to the International Court of Justice.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama in Athens on Friday.
“This bill confirms Greece’s strategy in seeking to conclude agreements with neighboring countries, always based on international law and to enhance security and prosperity in the region,” said Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.
A vote on the bill is expected this month.
As for eastern Greece, Turkey warned that a similar move by Athens would be “a reason for the outbreak of war.”
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