Agreement discovered with Greece, Albania restores sovereignty in the maritime part that lost in 2009

In the strait between the two countries, which is 1.8 nautical miles, 2.6 miles belong to Albania, 2.6 miles of Greece and 2.6 miles are international waters. The middle line applies in other parts, also counting on a space for international navigation, distances based on the International Sea Convention.

As for extending Greek sovereignty by 12 miles, as Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said, it will be done by both countries simultaneously.

In the agreement between the two countries, concluded in Crete but eventually detailed in Korca, it is explained that the 12-mile estimate will be made by the last inhabited island in 1913, the period between the two countries is set for a rough border line.

The 12 Greek miles will apply to the island of Otono and Mandraqi, not to the last lighthouse in the north, as in the 2009 agreement. The agreement will be based on international sea law for the use of lighthouses, under which the lighthouses and rocks, or the islands on which they are built, are provided for management of the building site.

The territorial status of these lighthouses and the waters surrounding them does not refer to the starting points of 12 miles, or the middle line, as set out in the 2009 accord with the Bactreta Rock in Ksamil Strait, giving Greece 3/4 of the maritime space. The Greek side says that by the new way of measurement and reference points set by Bushati and Kotzia in Crete, Albania restores sovereignty to the marine part that lost under the 2009 agreement.

The exclusive economic zone will be redefined between the two countries. Albania will expand it westward towards the “Joni 1” and “John 2”, which, under the 2009 agreement, Greece received.

Geology studies conducted since 1960 by Russian and Albanian geologists, but also research conducted in 2013- 2015 by Norwegian companies, confirm that oil and gas are found there as a continuation of the Patos-Marinz-Vorre oil fields.

Sources said Greece wants a quick solution to the issue, as it wants to apply the precedent of determining the maritime with Albania to use it as the basis in the final phase of negotiations for determining the exclusive economic zone with Israel, Cyprus, Libya and Egypt.

This precedent could be used politically in a possible negotiations on Turkey's maritime border for establishing Greek sovereignty in the Aegean.

As known, Greece has control of islands in almost all of the Aegean based on the Lozanne Treaty, which is recently rejected by Turkish President Erdogan.

It is exactly “offrestka” that Athens has from the Turkish president's influence on Albanian politics, makes this agreement even more urgent, Top Channel sources in Athens stress.

This agreement refers to a co-ordination for starting land border work. Greece and Albania still do not have a defined border line since 1914, when the existing line was established by major powers.