Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias reiterated on Tuesday evening, speaking from Parliament, that the next expansion of Greek territorial waters to the internationally recognized maximum of 12 nautical miles will take place in maritime regions south of the large island of Crete.
Dendias spoke during debate on a draft bill commencing delimitation and demarcation actions to extend territorial waters to 12nm in the Ionian Sea, off the entire western seaboard of Greece.
He reminded that Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis has already announced this initiative, with studies now underway.
Dendias also underlined that Greece reserves the right - under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - to extend its territorial waters in all sea regions that it borders, a direct reference to the eastern Aegean, where official Turkey continued to consider Greece's legal right as a casus belli.
He also wholly praised the consensus exhibited by all parties rapporteurs and deputies during Tuesday's debate. The draft legislation is expected to be passed by a unanimous or near unanimous margin.
