Tripoli, Deputy US Ambassador to Libya Leslie Ordeman said there were factors which could bring stability back to Libya, end division and usher in brighter future for Libyans.
In an interview with the Libyan news agency Lana, Ordeman said holding the elections on set time December 24, withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters and unifying the Military are all factors which could help bring back stability and pacify the country.
Asked about the increasing international interest in Libya and indeed the American’s, the Deputy Ambassador said ‘since the Biden Administration came to office we have seen a lot of developments …we have seen the LNDF, the Government of National Unity, setting the elections date on Dec. 24, and I think there is an important opportunity for Libya, and we can play a role to make Libya a success story.’
Asked about announcement by the Head of the Government of National Unity about its intention to organize an oil conference in Tripoli and another in Dallas, the Deputy US Ambassador said ‘I have had a meeting with the Minister of Oil and Gas in Libya, and we talked about American companies interest to work and invest in Libya, and we discussed how we can make the Libyan oil industry attractive to American companies, to come to invest in Libya, which will provide jobs for Libyans and spur the economic activity.
Not only US oil companies were interested in investing and working in Libya, US non-oil companies are also interested in working with their Libyan partners, the US diplomat said, indicating that this subject was discussed at the Ambassador’s recent visit to Tripoli.
As for participation of the US in confronting the terror group of ISIS in Sirte, the Deputy said ‘confronting terrorism is one and the foremost concern for the United States, and it is luckily that all Libyans west, east and south whom we talked to have said they were prepared to cooperate in confronting terrorism, and we will continue to cooperate when it comes to fighting terrorism threats to regional stability ..it is important to us ..it is important to Libya, and also to the neighbors of Libya.
The US diplomat said ‘America was helping Libya in the security area, but in a way that does not make us look like we are invading.. we help in demining, and how to teach Libyan protect themselves from explosives, and we help train Libyan Army to be a professional Army.’
As for the frozen Libyan assets abroad, the Deputy said there is $60 billion Libyan frozen assets that needed to be protected, indicating that ‘America would never allow within our authority for the assets to be unlocked or squandered. Only when the Libyan people have a representative government which said it needed the money to spend on the Libyan people and the infrastructure then the money can be given to them.’
The US diplomat said the ‘Presidency Council and the Government of National Unity are working together and they said their priority was to hold the elections on Dec. 24, and this what the Libyans wanted, and what they need to do is to go along this path, it’s difficult but it’s a try and I think it’s the right path.’
As for so called Libya Stabilization Act put before the US Congress by some members, Ordeman said it was a legislation matter.. ‘but what can I say is that not only the people in the White House are interested in Libya ..but in the Congress as well they are so interested that they wrote an act about Libya that would go in the Congress books .. and this act, if passed, I will adhere to it when I write to the Congress about what’s going on in Libya and how money is being spent in Libya ..which will give us an opportunity for other programs to assist Libya.
Source: Libyan News Agency