It entered into force today, with its publication in the Government Gazette, the Presidential Decree on the closure of the bays and the establishment of straight baselines in the maritime area of the Ionian Sea and of Ionian Islands until the Cape Taenaro of Peloponnese. This act brings one step closer to the completion of the procedure for the extension of the coastal zone to the 12 nautical miles in the Ionian Sea.
As stated in a relevant announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Decree was adopted in application of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
«It is a necessary step in the process of expanding the coastal zone of the country in the above-mentioned area, an action which constitutes, under the Convention, inalienable right of the country».
«The Presidential Decree notes that the Greece reserves the right to exercise in the other areas of its territory its respective rights, as they derive from the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which reflects customary international law», the Foreign Ministry underlines.
«Greece, strictly committed to defending the International Law, including the Law of the Sea, always acts in accordance with international legality,» the statement concludes.
