Libyan Prime Minister Offers to Discuss Egypt's Mediterranean Boundary Issues

During a telephone discussion, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah assured Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad that the UN-backed Government of National Unity is ready to tackle Cairo's objections to maritime delimitation in the eastern Mediterranean. The dialogue comes after Egypt dismissed a recent maritime boundaries accord ratified by Libya's eastern-based parliament with Turkey, calling it null and without legal effect.

The 2019 Libya-Turkey deal, initially approved by the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, has long been opposed by Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, who claim it encroaches on their own sea zones and energy exploration rights. Libya remains divided between Dbeibah's Tripoli administration and the eastern faction led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, complicating any unified response. Both nations share a land border and have historically close security and economic ties, making the maritime issue particularly sensitive. Dbeibah's statement signals a potential diplomatic overture to ease tensions with Egypt.