The act establishing the National Spatial Strategy for Maritime Space (NSSMS) shows "Greece grows taller and expands its diplomatic imprint," Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis said in an interview to Skai TV on Wednesday.
NSSMS, which was published the same day by initiative of the Environment and Energy Ministry with the collaboration of other ministries including the Foreign Affairs Ministry, will specify and map Greece's Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP).
"This is a very important day for Greece because it is the first time the extreme limits of its continental shelf are recorded," the minister told the TV station. Greece is proceeding on the basis of International Law, he added, while today's development was expected, since a decision of the European Court obliged Greece to issue its maps by April 27 (as per European Commision Directive 2014/89/EC on NSSMS).
Referring to a corresponding map issued by Turkiye, he said that if we have two different versions, there is the path of a joint understanding in order to resolve the issue of exclusive zones.
Gerapetritis also noted that it is the first time that the furthest potential limits of the continental shelf are recorded on a map, and underlined that in the framework of the European legislation Greece records its furthest potential limits on maritime zones.