Nikos Dendias, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, signs the protocol during the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet at the presidential mansion in Athens, Greece, on July 9, 2019. (Xinhua/Panagiotis Moschandreou)
The step was made after Athens decried an MoU signed between Turkey and Libya on Nov. 27 on the establishment of maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Greek side said the MoU could infringe upon the sovereignty rights of Greek islands in the Mediterranean.
ATHENS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Libya's ambassador to Greece was summoned to the foreign ministry on Friday morning, where he was informed of the decision for his expulsion and was given a 72-hour deadline to leave the country, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said, quoted by Greek national news agency AMNA.
The expulsion does not constitute the severing of diplomatic relations, Dendias said.
The step was made after Athens decried the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Turkey and Libya on Nov. 27 on the establishment of maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. The Greek side said the MoU could infringe upon the sovereignty rights of Greek islands in the Mediterranean.
Dendias said the decision to expel the Libyan ambassador reflects the Greek government's dissatisfaction with the Tripoli government and noted that it was taken after "the Libyan side did not meet the terms we set." ■
