Egypt reopened its historic embassy building in Tripoli on Saturday during Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s visit for talks on trade, energy and a disputed maritime boundary. Abdelatty also raised Egypt’s objections to a 2019 agreement between Turkey and Libya.
Libya's acting foreign minister, Taher al-Baour, joined Abdelatty at the ceremony in Tripoli. Egypt closed the building in January 2014 after gunmen kidnapped five embassy staff, though its diplomatic mission resumed work in the capital in May 2021. Cairo has long backed Khalifa Haftar, the military commander whose forces dominate eastern Libya, where a rival government is based.
In Tripoli, Abdelatty met Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah to discuss ways to make trade easier. Dbeibah praised the role Egyptian companies and workers have played in rebuilding Libya, according to Egypt's foreign ministry. Abdelatty also met Libya's acting oil minister at the reopened embassy. He called for faster progress on gas pipelines between the two countries and on plans to refine Libyan crude in Egypt for export. The Libyan minister said he would travel to Cairo for further talks, Libya's state news agency reported on Sunday.
Abdelatty raised Egypt's objections to a 2019 maritime boundary agreement between Turkey and Libya's then government in Tripoli. According to his ministry, he said Egypt's concerns should be taken into account when maritime boundaries are drawn. Dbeibah told Egyptian broadcaster Al-Qahera News that officials from both countries would discuss the maps and their respective claims at their next meeting.
The agreement draws a boundary between Turkish and Libyan maritime zones in the eastern Mediterranean, where several countries claim rights to explore for oil and gas. Greece says the boundary ignores the rights of Greek islands, including Crete, which lies between the Turkish and Libyan coasts. Egypt and Cyprus also oppose the deal. Libya's eastern-based parliament ratified the agreement on 20 October after opposing it for years. The EU said the next day that the deal infringed on other countries' rights and could have no legal effect on them. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan defended it as "an entirely legitimate agreement, both from a legal and a political perspective".
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Egypt's reopening signals a shift in its Libya policy, pursuing direct engagement with the Tripoli government after years of backing the eastern rival, potentially reshaping regional alliances.
- The disputed Turkey-Libya maritime deal affects energy exploration rights across the eastern Mediterranean, where gas discoveries have heightened competition among Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey.
- Progress on gas pipelines and refining plans could unlock new energy trade routes, linking Libyan crude and Egyptian infrastructure to European markets.
Background
Libya has been split since the 2011 civil war between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by Khalifa Haftar. Egypt has traditionally supported Haftar but is now seeking to broaden ties. The 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime agreement angered several Mediterranean states, which argue it illegally claims maritime zones that overlap with Greek islands and Cypriot waters.
Key Perspectives
Egypt: says its concerns over the 2019 maritime deal must be considered in any boundary delimitation.
Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah: indicated both sides will discuss maps and claims at their next meeting.
Turkey: through Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, defends the agreement as "an entirely legitimate agreement, both from a legal and a political perspective".
Greece and Cyprus: oppose the deal; Greece says it ignores the rights of Greek islands.
EU: says the deal infringes on other countries' rights and can have no legal effect on them.
What to Watch
- Whether the promised technical talks between Egypt and Libya on maritime maps produce a timeline or a counterproposal.
- The Libyan oil minister's visit to Cairo for further negotiations on energy infrastructure.
- How the eastern-based parliament's recent ratification of the Turkey deal affects implementation on the ground.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedEgypt reopened its Tripoli embassy and raised objections to the Turkey-Libya maritime deal.Euronews: “Egypt reopens Tripoli embassy after 12 years and raises concerns over Turkey-Libya maritime deal”
- SupportedAbdelatty called for progress on energy projects as Cairo sought closer ties with Libya’s western government.Euronews: “Egypt is seeking closer ties with Libya’s western government after years of backing its eastern rival. Talks in Tripoli covered energy projects”
- SupportedThe embassy building reopened on Saturday during Abdelatty’s visit for talks on trade, energy and a disputed maritime boundary.Euronews: “Egypt reopened its historic embassy building in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Saturday during a visit by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty for talks on trade, energy and a disputed maritime boundary.”
- SupportedFidan described the agreement as “an entirely legitimate agreement, both from a legal and a political perspective”.Euronews: “Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan defended it as “an entirely legitimate agreement, both from a legal and a political perspective”.”
- SupportedAbdelatty said Egypt’s concerns should be taken into account when maritime boundaries are drawn, according to his ministry.Euronews: “He said Egypt’s concerns should be taken into account when maritime boundaries are drawn, according to his ministry.”
- SupportedDbeibah told Al-Qahera News that officials from both countries would discuss maps and their respective claims at their next meeting.Euronews: “Dbeibah told Egyptian broadcaster Al-Qahera News that officials from both countries would discuss the maps and their respective claims at their next meeting.”
- SupportedDbeibah praised the role of Egyptian companies and workers in rebuilding Libya, according to Egypt’s foreign ministry.Euronews: “Dbeibah praised the role Egyptian companies and workers have played in rebuilding Libya, according to Egypt’s foreign ministry.”
- SupportedLibya’s acting oil minister said he would travel to Cairo for further talks, as reported by Libya’s state news agency on Sunday.Euronews: “The Libyan minister said he would travel to Cairo for further talks, Libya’s state news agency reported on Sunday.”
- SupportedEgypt closed the building in January 2014 after gunmen kidnapped five embassy staff.Euronews: “Egypt closed the building in January 2014 after gunmen kidnapped five embassy staff.”
- SupportedEgypt’s diplomatic mission resumed work in Tripoli in May 2021.Euronews: “Its diplomatic mission resumed work in Tripoli in May 2021.”
- SupportedAbdelatty called for faster progress on gas pipelines and plans to refine Libyan crude in Egypt for export.Euronews: “He called for faster progress on gas pipelines between the two countries and on plans to refine Libyan crude in Egypt for export.”
- SupportedLibya’s eastern-based parliament ratified the agreement on 20 October after opposing it for years.Euronews: “Libya’s eastern-based parliament ratified the agreement on 20 October after opposing it for years.”