Extension of territorial waters to include South and East of Crete, says Greece’s FM

The next steps of the Greek foreign policy include the extension of territorial waters South and East of the island of Crete, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told the Plenary of the Parliament on Tuesday morning.

“The prime minister has already taken position on the expansion of territorial waters in Crete months ago. And, of course, this includes the eastern part ff Crete,” Dendias stressed.

Responding to questions by main opposition party SYRIZA regarding the exploratory talks with Turkey and the differences that would be discussed, Dendias said:

“The country’s position on the Greek continental shelf is formulated by the Maniatis’ law. As for the Exclusive Economic Zone, the superstructure of the specific continental shelf, in the specific area, the fact is real. It has not been demarcated by agreement with one of the neighboring countries. I am referring to Turkey. That does not mean there is a difference. ”

He stressed that “no prime minister of the Hellenic Republic, at any time, would negotiate the issue of territorial waters, because it is a matter of sovereignty and not a matter of negotiation.”

“Neighboring countries understand the exercise of our right,” he said, adding that “Italy knew that Greece would expand its territorial waters and that does not mean that Greece negotiated with them. The Albanian Prime Minister, [Edi] Rama, made a clear statement in his honor, when he was criticized by the opposition, that it is an absolute right of Greece, just as Albania has exercised its absolute right, without asking Greece.”

Dendias was speaking during the Plenary debate on the foreign ministry’s draft bill on “Determination of the extent of the coastal zone in the Ionian Sea region and the Ionian Islands up to Cape Tainaro in the Peloponnese.” The bill has been introduced to Plenary on Tuesday for debate and voting.

Once passed, the bill will extend Greece’s coastal zone (territorial waters) to 12 nautical miles in the sea area of the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Islands to Cape Tainaro in the Peloponnese.

It is the first extension of national territory since 1947, we are talking about 10,079 sq km and if we add the closing of the bays, it exceeds 13,000 sq. km,” Dendias said.

The extension of the coastal zone is based on Article 27 of the Constitution, as it concerns a change in the borders of the State, for which a law is required that is passed by an absolute majority of all the parliamentary deputies.

The definition of the extent of the coastal zone in the Ionian Sea is based on the Convention on the Law of the Sea and Article 3 thereof, which states that each coastal State has the inalienable right to extend its territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles.

The bill was preceded by the issuance and entry into force of a Presidential Decree, which closes off the sea bays and draws straight baselines.

As noted in Article 1 of the draft law, the Hellenic Republic reserves the right to exercise in the other regions of its Territory, its respective rights, as they derive from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.