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Addressing a Cabinet meeting in Athens, Mitsotakis lauded Chevron\u2019s interest as a \u201cstrong affirmation of Greece\u2019s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)\u201d in the region. The company, already engaged in offshore exploration southwest of mainland Greece with a consortium, now expands its focus to Crete\u2019s waters.<\/p>\n
Athens views this as a counterblow to the contentious Turkey-Libya maritime pact, which Greece deems unlawful. That agreement, struck by Ankara with Tripoli\u2019s interim government during Libya\u2019s civil unrest, ignored Greek territory\u2014including Crete, the Mediterranean\u2019s fifth-largest island\u2014to redraw maritime boundaries, flouting international norms in what Greece calls \u201cTurkography.\u201d Mitsotakis highlighted that Libya\u2019s current administration, by contrast, recently auctioned its own EEZ blocks using the Crete-Libya midline, aligning with Greece\u2019s stance.<\/p>\n
ExxonMobil, another major player, is also active southwest of Crete and the Peloponnese, with pilot drilling potentially starting this year. Chevron\u2019s move reinforces Greece\u2019s efforts to assert its maritime rights and unlock its energy potential, a development Mitsotakis framed as both strategic and symbolic.<\/p>\n
Crete Makes the List of Top Global Destinations for 2025<\/p>\n