The Greek government has submitted a bill to parliament that doubles the country’s territorial waters along its western border, allowing it to develop untapped energy reserves and thereby boost its troubled economy. 

Greece also hopes to extend its borders along its eastern border in the Aegean Sea, but neighboring Turkey rejected the move, saying it would trigger war. Nevertheless, the two NATO allies have fallen into a dangerous plunge in the past year due to their energy rights relations, and they are making new efforts for exploratory dialogue to sort out their differences. 

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said when submitting the bill for parliamentary approval that this marks a historic moment for the country and is part of a larger attempt to defend its sovereign interests, as Greece and Turkey are still in a dangerous stalemate in terms of energy and maritime rights in the eastern Mediterranean.