Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday was quick to praise a same-day announcement that US-based Chevron has expressed interest in hydrocarbon exploration in two maritime blocks due south of the large island of Crete.
Speaking at the beginning of a Cabinet meeting in Athens, Mitsotakis said the energy multinational’s interest “actively recognizes Greece’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the (maritime) region”.
Chevron is also participating in a consortium active in similar offshore exploration southwest of mainland Greece.
For Athens, the development further negates what it has vilified as an illegal Turo-Libyan memorandum that attempts to delimitate maritime zones between the two disparate countries by essentially “erasing” and ignoring all Greek islands and territory – including Crete, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean – in between. Ankara had brokered a deal with the Tripoli-based provisional government at the time, even amid civil strife in the North African country and without legislative approval, a latest attempt at “Turkography”, i.e. ignoring international law and conventions and unilaterally putting forth claims and rights.
Mitsotakis also pointed out that the current Libyan government itself auctioned off two maritime blocks in its would-be EEZ, but using the midline between the nearest Libyan shoreline and Crete.
Another multinational active in Greek waters is Exxon Mobil, namely, southwest of Crete and the Peloponnese, with the first pilot drilling possibly taking place this year.
