Greek Foreign Minister Geras Vpetritis met with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strongman of eastern Libya, in Benghazi on Sunday (06.07.2025), amid ongoing tensions surrounding the illegal Turkey-Libya memorandum. At the top of the agenda during the talks between Vpetritis and Haftar were Greece-Libya relations, the need for negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation, and the migration crisis, as both Athens and the European Union have made it clear that a new permanent route for migratory flows from Africa through Libya toward Greece and Italy will not be tolerated.
With the Foreign Minister’s visit to Benghazi and soon to Tripoli, Greece is asserting its presence in Libya’s evolving political landscape. It is promoting dialogue on maritime boundaries while working alongside the EU to prevent the establishment of a new corridor for African migration into Europe.
In a detailed statement following the meeting, Vpetritis said: ‘Today I had the opportunity to meet with the leader of eastern Libya, Field Marshal Haftar, along with members of his family in their official capacity. We discussed issues relating to migration, maritime zones, and our bilateral cooperation. Greece and Libya share historical traditions and roots. What also binds us is our commitment to international law and our shared vision for a Mediterranean of peace and prosperity for all peoples. We will continue our steady relationship and hope to achieve tangible results in the near future.’