Libya's NOC says eastern govt tried to export 650,000 barrels of oilApril 23, 2016 - 14:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said the country's eastern government attempted to export 650,000 barrels of oil this week, but that workers at the Marsa el-Hariga terminal had refused to load the shipment, Reuters reports. "This had the potential to be a very ugly incident and I am pleased that it has been resolved peacefully without injury to anybody or loss of revenue or damage to the integrity of NOC or the country," Tripoli-based Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement released late on Friday, April 22. Libya's eastern government is one of two rival administrations set up in 2014. Its efforts to sell oil through a parallel oil company have so far been unsuccessful. The NOC has said it will work with a UN-backed unity government that arrived in Tripoli last month to coordinate future oil sales. There was no immediate comment from the eastern government or the parallel oil company that it formed in Benghazi, Libya's second city. Sanalla said he had informed the unity government's prime minister, Fayez Seraj, about the attempted sale, and that Seraj "took the necessary steps to stop the vessel from loading". The NOC statement said the marketing manager of the parallel company had instructed eastern oil firm Agoco to load the shipment on April 21-23 for DSA Consultancy FZC, a company registered in the United Arab Emirates. It said the shipment was intended for the Distya Ameya, an Indian-flagged vessel that remained at Marsa el-Hariga. The UN Security Council last month said the unity government had the "primary responsibility" for preventing illicit oil sales, urging it to communicate any such attempts to the UN committee overseeing Libya-related sanctions. The resolution also restated a call for member states to cease contact with any "parallel institutions". Since the uprising that toppled autocrat Muammar Gaddafi five years ago, Libya's oil production has been slashed by rivalry between armed factions, attacks by Islamic State militants and labor disputes. Output has fallen to less than a quarter of the 1.6 million barrels per day produced before the uprising. Photo: Getty Images Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lithuania sending €100,000 to help Armenia fight floods consequences Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to social media to thank his Lithuanian counterpart for the contribution. Turkey condemns Uruguay’s recognition of Armenian Genocide Turkey has condemned a newly passed law in Uruguay that recognizes the Armenian Genocide, TRT reports. For the first time, Armenia votes in favor of Georgia resolution in UN Armenia on Tuesday, June 4 voted for the first time in favor a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Moscow warns Armenia against leaving Russian-led defense bloc Armenia could ruin its military ties with Russia if it continues drifting towards the West, according to a senior official in Moscow. |