Gerapetritis: Greece Launches 5X5 Initiative in the Eastern Mediterranean!

Greece is advancing a strategic initiative of high symbolic value, the 5X5, a multilateral cooperation forum with five countries (Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, Libya) and five thematic areas: maritime zones, migration, energy connectivity, marine environment protection, and civil protection.

Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis is leading the exploratory diplomatic contacts. At the same time, nothing indicates that Ankara would approach the forum constructively, at least regarding the crucial issue of EEZ and continental shelf delimitation, as the political dialogue with Turkish counterpart Mr. Fidan has effectively been frozen since November 2024.

The Turkish influence on the government of Dibeiba could lead to an early division of the forum, with Ankara and Tripoli on one side and Athens, Nicosia, and Cairo on the other, undermining the initiative’s prospects almost from inception. Meanwhile, Greece and Egypt are already bound by a partial EEZ delimitation agreement, and Cyprus has similar agreements with Israel and Egypt.

Despite these difficulties, Athens is demonstrating its willingness for peaceful coexistence and resolution of the major maritime zone disputes, based on International Law and the principles of good neighborliness. Such forums are considered by Greek policymakers as a valuable opportunity for internationalizing national positions, countering Turkey’s revisionist approach in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly its Turkish-Libyan memorandum.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reinforced this approach in Parliament: “I invite all coastal states to a joint meeting, a forum where we can jointly examine all our concerns.” This has been interpreted as Greece’s intention to organize an international conference under U.S. coordination, ensuring the unhindered progress of energy projects already attracting interest from major U.S. companies like Chevron and Exxon.

The initiative particularly concerns Greece and Libya, regarding delimited maritime blocks on either side of the median line, with a specific role for Donald Trump’s North Africa envoy, Massad Boulos, who maintains communication with all parties involved.

It is notable that the idea of an Eastern Mediterranean conference was first proposed in 2020 by the then European Council President, Charles Michel, in an effort to prevent a potential Greece-Turkey crisis. Erdogan initially engaged but never advanced the proposal. In contrast, the Greek initiative emphasizes a “permanent forum” rather than a one-off conference, asserting Athens’ role as an active diplomatic player in the region.

Through the 5X5, Greece seeks to combine geopolitical strategy, energy interests, and the internationalization of its positions, demonstrating its firm commitment to stability and maritime zone management, even amid adverse geopolitical conditions.