The Minister of Economy and Trade in the Government of National Unity, Mohammed Al-Huwaij, met yesterday, Thursday, with a number of economic experts and academics to benefit from their high competence and exceptional abilities that will have a significant impact on the national economy, according to the ministry’s media office.
During the meeting, Al-Huwaij emphasized the importance of obtaining academic research from Libyan universities, invoking the latest information from experts, developing proposals and initiatives to reach innovative solutions, and formulating a shared national vision to revitalize the national economy and enhance it through scientific skills.
It is worth mentioning that this meeting is part of the vision of the Minister of Economy and Trade to develop economic partnerships and promote comprehensive development to achieve the desired economic status through knowledge, expertise, and confident experience.
A number of officials from the departments of the Central Bank of Libya in its branches in Tripoli and Benghazi held a meeting today, Friday, in the Tunisian capital to discuss a number of issues, foremost among them the unification of the Central Bank.
According to the official website of the Central Bank of Libya, the meeting was dedicated to discussing many topics of mutual interest in a positive atmosphere between the parties, indicating that an agreement has been reached to hold further joint meetings in Libya within the headquarters of the Central Bank.
The official website of the Central Bank added that on the sidelines of the meeting, a workshop was held organized by the US Agency for International Development “USAID”.
The President of the High Council of State held an emergency session at the council’s headquarters in the capital Tripoli on Thursday and voted on the 13th constitutional amendment approved by the House of Representatives in consultation with the High Council of State.
During the session, the council voted with the approval of the majority of the attending members after the quorum was met. An agreement was reached to start forming a committee to draft the electoral laws to be adopted during the next session.
Issa Al-Aribi, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the House of Representatives, welcomed on Thursday the State Council’s approval vote on the 13th constitutional amendment approved by the House of Representatives.
Al-Aribi added that with this approval, the amendment becomes effective and cuts off external interventions in Libyan affairs.
It is worth mentioning that the State Council voted during its session today, Thursday, with the majority of present members approving the 13th constitutional amendment.
The US Embassy in Libya has urged the main Libyan leaders to engage constructively with the plan proposed by the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Abdoulaye Bathily.
In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the embassy confirmed that Bathily’s proposal to reach elections motivates the Libyan political body, indicating that this proposal will build on the progress made by the House of Representatives and the State in reaching a legal basis for the elections.
The US Embassy in Libya pointed out that this moment represents an opportunity for Libyan leaders to show that they are truly dedicated to serving the needs of the Libyan people.
The National Oil Corporation issued Decision No. 2 regarding the restructuring of the board of directors of Sirte Oil and Gas Production and Manufacturing Company, headed by Mr. Mustafa Huma, and including in its membership a member for engineering, projects and information technology affairs, Badr Al-Sayyed, a member for financial and human resources affairs, Ahmed Belo, a member for operations, Ahmed Mansour, and a member for manufacturing and maintenance affairs, Mohamed Al-Sanussi.
After the National Oil Corporation’s decision on this matter, the handover ceremony between the previous and new board of directors of Sirte Oil Company took place today, Wednesday, at the company’s headquarters.
The committee responsible for documenting the minutes and referring them to the Chairman of the National Oil Corporation’s Board of Directors, Farhat Bin Gdara, was present, and included Omar Rahil, Saeed Al-Sanussi, and Bassam Baio.
The Minister of Local Government in the Government of National Unity, Badreddine Al-Toumi, discussed with the Minister of State for the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Nils Annen, a set of issues related to political tracks, on top of which are elections.
The meeting touched on discussing the issue of supporting and developing women, and the government’s achievements in this field were reviewed, including the establishment of centers for women’s support and development in a group of municipalities, stressing Al-Toumi that work is underway to create another group of centers in cooperation with the German Cooperation Agency.
The reform measures adopted by the unity government were also discussed, both in terms of transparency and what was adopted from the government procurement platform, as well as its adoption of a government communication methodology, to facilitate communication between citizens and the government.
Al-Toumi stressed that the government is fully prepared to implement the elections according to the correct constitutional foundations, pointing to the success achieved in the municipal elections that were implemented during the last period and are still being implemented in a new group of municipalities.
It was agreed to continue communication to enhance aspects of existing cooperation and open new horizons that allow for an effective partnership. They also assured the gathered parties that bringing about real development through activating stalled projects, launching new projects, and focusing on improving the quality of life of citizens is the basis for achieving stability, to end the transitional stages through implementing Real elections.
The meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Omar Kuti, the Minister’s Adviser for International Cooperation Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Abu Halqa, and the Decentralization File Officer at the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
The National Oil Corporation issued a statement condemning the remarks made by the head of the Supreme Council of State, Khaled Al-Mishri, regarding the corporation’s affiliation with the United Arab Emirates and its obtaining special privileges in the Libyan oil sector, as well as accusing the chairman of the corporation’s board of directors of being of Emirati nationality. The statement emphasized that all of these claims are completely untrue and simply “lies”.
The National Oil Corporation stated in its statement that Al-Mishri’s remarks are baseless and have no connection to reality, and that the only explanation for this is that they are part of a systematic campaign, perhaps fabricated by Al-Mishri and its leaders, aimed at undermining the Libyan oil sector and destabilizing its administrative stability and introducing this vital strategic sector into political conflicts.
The National Oil Corporation demanded that Al-Mishri apologize for his misconduct and false allegations, emphasizing that it reserves the right of its board of directors to resort to the national judiciary if he does not stop making such claims.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations, Abdoulaye Bathily, stated during his briefing to the Security Council that reuniting and reforming the Central Bank of Libya are two necessary steps to implement accountability and promote economic welfare in the country.
Bathily added that managing the country’s resources is a major concern for all Libyans, stressing that addressing the use of Libya’s resources should be fully addressed, especially in prioritizing expenditures, addressing chronic weaknesses in basic services, and the absence of accountability, as well as demands for fair distribution of resources.
The UN envoy emphasized the urgent need for a mechanism led by Libyans and involving concerned parties from all over the country to agree on spending priorities and ensure transparent and fair management of oil and gas revenues in line with Security Council decisions.
Bathily also pointed out that the International Economic Working Group continues to engage with Libyan institutions to make progress in discussions on temporary spending and control mechanisms, noting that reviving the economic path remains an integral part of political dialogue with the main Libyan parties and the Libyan people.
The UN envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily, said today during a meeting of the Security Council on Libya at the council’s headquarters in New York that the political process in Libya is still stagnant and does not meet the aspirations of Libyans who seek to renew their institutions and elect their representatives in power.
Bathily added that Libyans no longer have patience and doubt the current political parties’ desire to hold elections in 2023.
The UN envoy confirmed: “I have consulted with all parties in Libya, including representatives of civil society, cultural components, tribal leaders, and top officials in the government, the House of Representatives, and the state council.”
He pointed out that he received a number of written and verbal proposals presented by Libyans regarding ways to address the current political crisis.
During his briefing, he added that before arriving in New York, he met with the commander of the General Command forces, Khalifa Haftar, the President of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Manfi, the Prime Minister of the Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the President of the State Council, Khaled Al-Meshri, to discuss ways to get out of the current political impasse.
He continued saying: “The House of Representatives has approved the 13th amendments to the constitutional declaration, which were published in the official gazette, considering that the 13th amendment to the constitutional declaration raises controversy among Libyan political factions and citizens and does not address some of the basic issues for citizens and does not provide a clear roadmap.”
