Tripoli- The United States Embassy in Libya called for an immediate end to the Libyan oil closure due to the closure’s “damage that threatens an environmental disaster and depriving the Libyans of great revenues.”
This came in the statement published on the embassy’s page via the International Information Network, which reads: (The United States is deeply concerned about the continued closure of oil, which deprives the Libyans of significant revenues, contributes to increasing prices, and could lead to power outages, and supply problems. Water, and fuel shortages. The damage caused by the shutdown to the oil infrastructure will cost Libya millions more, portend an environmental disaster, and could affect the country’s ability to utilize this infrastructure in the future to reach its full productive potential. Responsible Libyan leaders must realize The closure is hurting Libyans across the country and has repercussions for the global economy, and they must end the oil shutdown immediately. The United States reminds Libyan leaders of the multiple Security Council resolutions protecting the National Oil Corporation and reaffirms our commitment to working with Libyan leaders on a mechanism that will give the people Libyan confidence that the country’s revenues are distributed in the interest of the Libyan people.
Prior to the shutdown, the United States recommended an additional revenue transfer subject to monitoring and oversight by a Libyan-led financial mechanism; However, Libyan officials independently decided to transfer more significant sums. The United States considers stopping Libyan oil production as a hasty response that harms the Libyan people and undermines international confidence in Libya as a responsible actor in the global economy.
The United States has advised and continues to advise on the establishment of an interim Libyan financial mechanism with broad support to address how Libya’s revenues are spent in the absence of an agreed national budget. This mechanism can be used by the Libyan authorities to give the Libyan people confidence regarding how oil revenues from the National Oil Corporation are being used and to prevent the transfer of funds for partisan political purposes that could undermine peace and security in Libya. We recommend that the mechanism be designed in a way that allows Libyans to ensure that critical expenditures are paid to people with the highest degree of transparency. In order to build confidence, all parties must know when and to whom money is being transferred to fund agreed expenditures. We also stress that Libya’s wealth should go to serve Libyans throughout the country—no outside party should decide the fate of Libyan resources, and any mechanism should only provide a way for Libyans to come to terms with each other and avoid unnecessary economic turmoil that only leads to harm all Libyans)
Source: Libyan News Agency