On Saturday, the United States (US) Special Envoy and Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland held talks with the Chairman of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC), Farhat Bengdara, in Tripoli.
During the meeting, Norland signaled the US’ resolute stance “to safeguard the NOC operational autonomy, preserve its technocratic purity, and the safety of its personnel.”
The duo also encapsulated their commitments that spotlighted the instrumental role of energy infrastructure within Libya’s socio-economic tapestry.
This engagement, transparently relayed through the US Embassy’s Twitter feed, is symbolic of a persistent emphasis on maintaining the independence and technocratic integrity of the national energy institution, along with ensuring the security of its personnel.
“The US once again affirms the pivotal importance of maintaining the NOC’s autonomy, upholding its technocratic transparency, and ensuring the safety of its staff,” Norland conveyed.
In press statements on Thursday, Norland advocated for establishing a unified technocratic government, the underpinning narrative oscillating around directing electoral processes under its supervision.
Highlighting the multifaceted challenges posed by the reconstruction efforts in flood-impacted regions, Norland underscored the inefficacy of reconstruction efforts under a bifurcated government. He also advocated for a consolidated governmental structure to augment efficacy.
Significantly, with international organisations such as the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ready to immerse themselves in reconstruction efforts, synchronising local and global actions within a coherent governance framework becomes paramount.
Norland indicated that the United Nations (UN) Envoy is in the process of facilitating a meeting for Libyan leadership to settle on an electoral roadmap. He added that the US is actively engaging with all Libyan leaders to ascertain progression towards democratic elections.
The US Envoy, with an eye on unity and consensus-building, invited the Head of Libyan Presidential Council, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), and the Chairman of the High Council of State (HCS) to assign their representatives to partake in discussions.
These dialogues, organised by the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), seek to establish coherent and unified plans on this matter.