CAIRO — Egypt and Greece signed an agreement on Thursday on setting up an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between the two countries, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said here during a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.

The deal was sealed amid rising tensions over natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean region, where Turkey, Greece and Cyprus are locked in a complex diplomatic standoff.

“This agreement allows both countries to move forward in maximizing the utilization of the resources available in the exclusive economic zone, especially promising oil and gas reserves,” Shoukry said.

“The agreement with Egypt is within the framework of international law, respects all concepts of international law and the law of the sea and good neighborly relations, and contributes to security and stability in the region,” Dendias said.

Thursday’s agreement comes almost two months after Greece and Italy signed an accord on maritime zones in the Ionian Sea.

Egypt and Greece are at odds with Turkey, which last year angered the two countries by signing a maritime delimitation deal with the Tripoli-based Government of National Alliance, in a move that escalated disputes over potential offshore gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.

Egypt and Greece condemned the deal as “illegal” and a violation of international law. The deal was also criticized by, among others, the European Union, Egypt, Russia, and the United States, as well as Libya’s Khalifa Haftar, who has the backing of Libya's National Assembly. — Agencies