Libya has long been under the microscope of the European Commission and specific member states of the European Union, including Greece, as the divided country threatens vital European interests.

The agreement between the Libyan National Oil Company (NOC) and the Turkish Petroleum Company (TPAO) for exploration in four maritime areas off its coast is just one piece of this difficult puzzle that the EU is being asked to solve EU, as an African country, is of intense concern to a certain alliance of powerful member states for several reasons that have forced even Paris and Rome to temporarily overcome their longstanding different approaches to the region and call for a common European stance.

Instrumentalization of migration routes, which are a strategic hub in the trafficking of people to the European Union. Fighting terrorism. Increasing the influence of third countries in the region and energy deals. A series of extremely serious issues that make the divided country once again a priority for European diplomacy.

On June 3, 2025, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron met in Rome, and the two leaders discussed, among other things, the situation in Libya, which risks becoming a base for Russia after Moscow’s withdrawal from Syria. A few days later, at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, supported by France, Greece, and Malta, reiterated the issue, stating that the situation in Libya is an “emergency that Europe must address with unity and coordination.”