Dear Victor,

If news reports are correct, the last year has seen some progress in
maritime boundary delimitation in the Mediterranean. Details are sketchy at
best but Africa Confidential reported in November 2002 that the Tunisian
parliament had "approved an agreement negotiated between the defense
ministers of Algeria and Tunisia on the maritime boundary between the two
countries". In February this year, several news sources reported a boundary
agreement between Cyprus and Egypt, with the boundary apparently following
the equidistance line between the two coasts and completely ignoring the
presence of the British Soveregn Base Area at Akrotiri! In both cases, the
news reports highlighted the fact that an agreed boundary would facilitate
oil and gas exploration; in a sea in which only Algeria and Egypt have
claimed EEZs, it may be that hydrocarbon development is the only real
incentive for further boundary delimitation.

As far as I am aware, neither of these agreements has yet entered into force
- does anyone have more information?

m a r t i n

==================================
Martin Pratt
Director of Research
International Boundaries Research Unit
Department of Geography
University of Durham
South Road
Durham DH1 3LE
United Kingdom

+44 (0)191 334 1964 (direct line)
+44 (0)191 334 1962 (fax)
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http://www-ibru.dur.ac.uk (World Wide Web)
==================================


-----Original Message-----
From: International boundaries discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Robert Victor
Prescott
Sent: 16 November 2003 00:58
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Mediterranean boundaries

Dear Colleagues,

I have been reflecting on the contrast between the numerous boundary
delimitations in the Mediterranean Sea in the areas west of meridian 19
degrees East and the solitary agreement between UK and Cyprus to the east of
that line. My attention has focussed on those cases where there appears to
be no obvious reason why boundary delimitation has not been attempted.

In the eastern sector it is understandable that serious political
differences  amongst some states, the partition of Cyprus and the difficulty
of finding an equitable boundary between Greece and Turkey will have
hindered the construction of some boundaries. But I wondered why no
boundaries have been drawn between Egypt and Libya and Greece where
certainly the geography is simple. I no nothing of possible political
complications.

In the western sector, where Italy has played a leading role in boundary
delimitations, I wonder why Italy's boundary with France has not been
completed and its boundary with Algeria drawn. Algeria has not delimited any
boundaries. Presumably its boundary with Morocco would be complicated by the
Islas Chaferinas claimed by Spain. But the potential boundary between
Algeria and Tunisia appears to be straightforward.

I would be grateful for any explanation of the cases I have cited. It is
often the case that apparently straightforward maritime boundaries are not
delimited simply because such activities have a very low administrative
priority. In short the lack of a boundary does not create any significant
political or economic problems.

Sincerely,  Victor Prescott

JRV  and DF Prescott
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East Brighton
Victoria 3187
AUSTRALIA

Phone 61 3 9592 5156
Fax 61 3 9593 1624