The former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has accused France of impeding the issuing of a European Union resolution that condemns the shutdown of oil ports in Libya.
Italy has expressed deep concern over the measures leading to the shutdown of oil production, warning on Tuesday of the repercussions of this closure on the economy and people of Libya.
Meanwhile, Italian news agency, AKI, reported that France had objected to an EU resolution that condemns the shutdown of oil ports in Libya despite the US green light for it after the request of the Government of National Accord.
According to the Italian news agency, the French rejection of the joint European resolution made the member states issue statements each on their own.
In the meantime, the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) declared force majeure in Brega, Ras Lanuf, Hariga, Zueitina and Sidra oil ports after the pro-Haftar groups had blockaded oil exports.
The NOC said in a statement on last Saturday that pro-Haftar Petroleum Facilities Guard of the Central and Eastern Regions had instructed the managements of Sirte Oil Company, Harouge Oil Operations, Waha Oil Company, Zueitina Oil Company and Arab Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO), subsidiaries of the National Oil Corporation, to stop oil exports from Brega, Ras Lanuf, Hariga, Zueitina, and Sidra ports.
It added that the blockade instructions were given by Naji Al-Maghrabi, the commander of PFG appointed by Haftar, and Ali Al-Jilani from Haftar’s Sirte Operations Room.
“This will result in a loss of crude oil production of 800,000 b/d and daily financial losses of approximately $55 million per day.” The NOC remarked.
Loyalists to Khalifa Haftar closed on last Friday Zueitina oil terminal and threatened to blockade oil exports at all oil terminals in the country.
UNSMIL expressed deep concern over the current efforts to disrupt or impair oil production in Libya. It added that the shutdown will also have terrible knock-on effects for the country’s already deteriorated economic and financial situation.
