Egypt, Greece sign agreement on exclusive economic zone

Egypt and Greece signed an agreement on Thursday on setting up an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said.

He spoke at a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.

The deal was reached amid tension over natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean region, where Turkey, Greece and Cyprus remain locked in a complex diplomatic standoff.

Thursday’s agreement comes almost two months after Greece and Italy signed an accord on maritime zones in the Ionian Sea.

Last year Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognized government signed an agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.

The deal has been criticized by, among others, the European Union, Egypt, Russia and the US, as well as Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, who has the backing of Libya's National Assembly.