U.S. Ambassador and Special Envoy to Libya, Richard Norland, said Thursday his country “is following with deep concern developments surrounding the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which is vital to Libya’s stability and prosperity, and has remained politically independent and technically competent under the leadership of Mustafa Sanalla.”
Norland stated that the reported replacement of the NOC board “may be contested in court but must not become the subject of armed confrontation,” according to US Embassy in Libya.
The Embassy quoted Norland as saying that “the key public policy considerations for Libya in this regard appear to be”:
1- is oil and gas production actually being restored in order to address urgent issues affecting the lives of every Libyan, especially electricity shortages.
2- is a Libyan mechanism in place for transparent management and oversight of the revenues.
3- will Libyan leaders on all sides recognize that once again these developments demonstrate the urgent need for the political will to compromise and set the immediate stage for reconciliation and elections?”