The US Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, said that the United States is working with partners in the economic working group emanating from the Berlin conference to form a mechanism for managing oil resources in Libya until a comprehensive political agreement is reached.
Norland added that the proposed mechanism provides for directing oil revenues only to salaries, support, oil production and meeting basic needs such as food and medicine in a framework of transparency, noting that the Libyan parties will decide whether this mechanism will be applied or not.
Norland said about the position of the United States on closing the oil fields in Libya for political reasons, that the time is absolutely not appropriate to disrupt oil production in Libya at a time when the country can meet rising global demand and benefit from higher prices, warning that the political situation increases the risks of competing political parties seeking to control oil revenues.
The American ambassador indicated that his biggest concerns regarding the issue of the current dispute over the prime ministership between Dbeibeh and Bashagha is that this dispute will lead the Libyan people away from the elections, calling on the two parties to dialogue and negotiation to find a peaceful solution to this impasse, and he also noted that they suggested that one of the partner countries such as Turkey support these negotiations, stressing that Washington strongly supports these efforts.
Norland also touched on the Russian-Ukrainian war and its repercussions on the situation in Libya, saying that « the Russian occupation of Ukraine has a great reflection on the sabotage role played by Wagner forces in Libya and the Sahel region, » adding that « the Russians tried to overthrow the government in Tripoli and interfered in the elections that were scheduled to take place on December 24th. »