Greece’s international minister known as off the primary leg of his consult with to Libya simply moments after touchdown in Tripoli on Thursday.
Nikos Dendias used to be on a two-part travel to fulfill Libya’s rival western management within the capital and the east-based management in the town of Benghazi.
But he refused to disembark from his aircraft in Tripoli when his counterpart, Najla Mangoush, got here to the airport to greet him. Instead, Dendias flew to Benghazi forward of time table.
Mangoush signed the arguable Turkish-Libyan oil and gasoline exploration deal in October — a transfer Athens blasted, claiming the Tripoli executive used to be no longer authorized to take action.
Dendias previous asked to be greeted through the president of Libya’s National Transitional Council, Mohamed Younis Menfi, and that nobody else can be provide for the assembly, the Greek press reported.
The Greek Foreign Ministry described the incident as a contravention of protocol and the agreed phrases for the consult with.
In a terse observation, Athens condemned the transfer and promised to retaliate “with appropriate diplomatic measures”.
Gas deal fuels additional Mediterranean feuds
Since March, two governments were struggling with for energy in Libya after the 2011 rebellion.
A spokesperson for the Tripoli-based executive mentioned Mangoush’s presence on the airport used to be a part of diplomatic conventions and that Dendias had left the town “without offering explanations”.
In reaction, Tripoli mentioned it had recalled the Libyan ambassador in Athens and had summoned the Greek chargé d’affaires.
Tensions were emerging within the Mediterranean following a arguable maritime and gasoline deal between Turkey and the Tripoli executive.
Last month’s initial deal has been rejected through each Greece and Egypt, who additionally accuse Turkey of the use of the settlement to take a look at to make bigger its affect within the area.
During a Cairo consult with closing month, Dendias mentioned the deal infringes on Greek maritime borders.
In 2019, Turkey signed every other arguable maritime border maintain Tripoli, granting it get entry to to a contested financial zone within the jap Mediterranean.
The deal disregarded the lifestyles of a number of Greek islands, together with Crete, and reignited tensions over oil and gasoline drilling rights.
Meanwhile, Cairo and Athens have bolstered ties in recent times, together with signing new maritime border agreements with Cyprus.
