Greece says to extend its western territorial waters

Greece plans to extend the western limit of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 miles, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, amid tensions with Turkey over Mediterranean energy resources to the east of Greece.

“Greece will extend its western territorial waters to 12 nautical miles from six,” Mitsotakis told lawmakers during a debate on whether to approve a recent accord on maritime boundaries between Greece and Italy.

Mitsotakis said the accords were based on the principles of international law and the Law of the Sea.

He added that Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias would soon visit Tirana to discuss with his counterpart a maritime agreement with Albania.