By Sami Zaptia.
London, 9 June 2017:
Libya’s National Oil Corporation chairman Mustafa Sanalla confirmed to Libya Herald that the use of oil as a means to achieving peace in Libya was discussed during his meetings held in Algiers on Monday.
Sanalla also confirmed that he had discussed the linkage between economic instability, security, terrorism and people smuggling in Libya.
Moreover, the NOC chairman confirmed that he had held meetings with Algeria’s Energy and Finance Ministries, as well as Ministries of Foreign Affairs during his visit.
‘‘I have been pleased to discuss over two days, in meetings with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Energy, and Finance of Algeria, the ways in which economic instability drives security problems in Libya, including terrorism and people smuggling’’, Sanalla revealed.
‘‘We also touched on how our regional partners can support our goal of using oil as a catalyst for peace – not conflict’’, he added. ‘‘The free flow of oil is the key to economic stabilization in Libya’’, he stressed, repeating his oft-quoted mantra of the primacy of keeping the issue of oil production out of everyday Libyan politics.
‘‘The independence of the NOC and its ability to operate effectively will ultimately underpin stabilisation in Libya’’, he concluded.
Ironically, Sanalla’s statements on the non-politicization of Libyan oil production come as a stoppage by workers at the Sharara oilfield has brought production to a halt – just as the NOC had announced that production had tipped the 800,000 bpd mark again. It had fallen under that mark recently due to what the NOC called technical issues.
