The US ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, said Washington shares Libyan concerns that funds can be diverted to support partisan political purposes or undermine Libya’s peace and security.

This came in a discussion for the US ambassador and Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Eric Meyer with Central Bank of Libya’s (CBL) governor Al-Siddiq Al-Kabir.

The US embassy said in a statement that the US officials urged the CBL to safeguard Libya’s oil revenue from misappropriation to rebuild confidence in the institution and contribute to stability. 

"They also reviewed joint efforts to enhance transparency at the CBL, especially in public spending, as  Ambassador Norland underlined that it is critical to provide financial support for the National Oil Corporation’s operations, even as discussions continue in an effort to reach broad agreement on other government expenditures. Norland also expressed concern about the shutdown of half of Libya’s oil production.” The statement reads.

Norland said that forced and prolonged disruptions to oil production create adverse conditions for the Libyan people, including power outages, water supply issues, and fuel shortages, and damage oil infrastructure, threatening the future of Libya’s energy sector and its ability to continue generating revenue for the benefit of the people.

"Especially during the holy month of Ramadan, the Libyan people deserve regular, timely payment of salaries and subsidies to cope with rising prices as a result of Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine, and they deserve reliable public services.” He added.