Libyan Coast Guard officers train in Greece to stem illegal migrant flows

Libyan Coast Guard officers have started training on the Greek island of Crete as part of a plan to strengthen cooperation and help the two countries stem a surge in illegal migrant arrivals, Greek sources said on Wednesday.

Relations between Greece and Libya have been strained by a maritime boundary agreement signed in 2019 between the Tripoli-based Libyan Government and Turkey, Greece's long-standing foe.

A tender that Greece launched this year to develop hydrocarbon resources off Crete revived those tensions, while a spike in illegal migrant flows from North Africa to Europe has prompted Athens to deploy frigates off Libya and pass legislation banning illegal migrants arriving from Libya by sea from requesting asylum.

The division of Libya by factional conflict into eastern and western sections for over a decade has further complicated relations. Greece says it is determined to continue talking to both the Tripoli-based government and a parallel administration based in Benghazi to the east.

So far, coast guard officers from eastern Libya have been training in Greece, including areas such as patrolling and search and rescue operations. Coast guard officers from western Libya are expected to also participate in the training, the sources said.

As part of efforts to improve relations, Athens last week invited Libya's internationally recognised government in Tripoli to start talks on demarcating exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea.

Missions from both countries are expected to hold talks on maritime zones in the coming months, the Greek sources said.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou Editing by Bernadette Baum)