Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has followed closely the developments in the Greek Parliament and the declarations of the high-level officials of the neighbor country, during the ratification of the maritime agreements between Italy and Greece, as well as Greece and Egypt.

The Albanian government values the conclusion of the Agreements for the delimitation of the maritime zones between the countries of the Mediterranean Region, based on the international norms for the Law of the Sea, the spirit of friendship and reciprocal interest.

In this case, in relation to the declarations for the soon expansion of the width of the Territorial Sea of Greece from 6 to 12 sea miles, we emphasize that this is a matter that is regulated by the international law and specifically from the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of Montego Bay 1982.

Greece, as every other state part of the convention, has the right to expand the width of its Territorial Sea as it is foreseen in the UNCLOS, where geography allows it and without infringing the sovereignty of the other state. Based on this convention where it is party, Albania itself has exercised its right to define the width of the territorial sea to 12 sea miles, expansion which was deposited to the United Nations on 9 March 1990 and it is not contested by our neighbors. This right comes from the convention and it is not a matter of negotiation between the states party of the convention and in all cases the countries that are in negotiation processes over the delimitation of the marine zones are obliged to follow the principles, the spirit and the criteria of the convention which recognizes the right of the states to expand the territorial waters up to 12 sea miles.

However the Albanian Government will be attentive to every legal process of the neighbour country, which can have an impact in exercising territorial sovereignty and the sovereign rights in the marine space that it belongs to.