UN-sponsored agreement to resolve Libyan Central Bank crisis

Istanbul (Agencies)

Libya’s two legislative bodies agreed yesterday to appoint a new governor for the Central Bank of Libya within 30 days after talks under the auspices of the United Nations, a statement signed by representatives of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State said.
Earlier, Al-Siddiq Al-Kabeer, Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, said that there are “strong” indications that the parties to the political conflict in Libya are close to reaching an agreement on the work of the Central Bank, which would pave the way for the resumption of Libyan oil exports.
The government in western Libya, the Presidential Council, announced about two weeks ago the dismissal of Al-Kabir and the appointment of Muhammad Abdul Salam Shukri as his successor, which prompted the eastern government to stop exporting crude oil from the country’s main ports.
The bank governor expressed his confidence that he would be part of any solution, and that he was ready to return to Libya to continue his work, saying, “If they sign the agreement today, I will return tomorrow.”
Earlier, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya announced hosting the first round of talks to resolve the crisis in the Libyan Central Bank, which has led to the cessation of oil production and threatens the country with the worst crisis in years.
This came in a statement by the UN mission, noting that it hosted separate talks at its headquarters in Tripoli between representatives of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State on the one hand, and the Presidential Council on the other hand.
The statement added that this comes within the framework of its efforts to resolve the crisis of the Central Bank of Libya, a week after it called for an emergency meeting of all parties concerned with the crisis to resolve it, and urged the suspension of all decisions that caused the crisis or were taken after it.
The mission confirmed that the participants achieved important understandings on ways to resolve the crisis surrounding the Central Bank and restore the confidence of Libyans and international partners in this vital institution.
At the end of the session, the representatives of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State agreed to submit what they had agreed upon to the two councils for consultation, with consultations to be completed at a later time with the aim of final signing of the agreement, according to the mission’s statement.