After the suspension of Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun by the Administrative Control Authority (ACA) on 25 March, Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba held a meeting yesterday with the newly appointed Acting Minister of Oil and Gas Minister, Khalifa Abdel Sadig.

This is the first public meeting with Abdel Sadig and is confirmation of Aoun’s suspension.

The government media page said the meeting was to follow up on several files related to the oil and gas sector.

Investment projects and activating international partnerships It reported that Abdel Sadig presented an update on the development and investment projects approved in the sector plan with the aim of increasing production and activating international partnerships.

Need to partner with Libyan private sector Aldabaiba, the government reported, directed the necessity of partnering with the Libyan private sector in intermediary works, and entering the oil sector according to their capabilities and qualification by the competent committees, and that foreign companies should not monopolize the work.

Manufacture of oil spare parts and equipment Aldabaiba, it added, also directed the necessity of inviting companies that manufacture various oil spare parts and equipment to partner with the Libyan private sector through the Misrata Free Zone in providing the appropriate conditions for this.

It is notable, however, that the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Oil and Gas has not yet reported the meeting and has not acknowledged Abdel Sadeg as the Acting Minister.

Analysis It must be noted that critics and commentators have viewed the suspension of Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun as a political manoeuvre rather than a legal/administrative one. They suspect that Aldabaiba has had him suspended for having obstructed him in the NC7 Hamada deal with foreign investors.

 

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