BREIGA, 16 November 2020 - Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya Stephanie Williams today attended a meeting hosted by Sirte Oil Company in Marsa Brega, bringing together the Chairman of the National Oil Company Mustafa Sanallah and the Commanders of the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG) of the Eastern and Western regions. The meeting, which is the first of its kind, comes as part of efforts to unify and restructure the PFG and to form a new oil facilities protection force, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement signed on 23 October in Geneva.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, ASRSG Stephanie Williams, said, “We are honoured to be here today in this historic meeting, in this symbolic location here in Brega, the heart of the oil crescent and the location where oil first flowed in Libya. Today we launched a process to unify the Petroleum Facilities Guard and to launch a new project, the petroleum protection force.” She added that, “What happened here today is a direct fruit of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks that were enshrined in the October 23^rd ceasefire agreement and confirmed in the follow-up meetings in Ghadames and Sirte.”  She hailed the dedication of the NOC's employees as they work tirelessly and under difficult circumstances to ensure the production of oil for the Libyan people.  ASRSG Williams called on the relevant authorities to maintain their commitment to fund the NOC's operating costs per Chapter 2 of the national budget.

Chairman Sanallah said that, “This is a historic opportunity as this place witnesses the first meeting of the joint committees between the National Oil Corporation, the United Nations and the Petroleum Facilities Guard, with its eastern and western wings. Today’s meeting sends an important message that the stability of oil in Libya is crucial for the return of foreign investors and companies to work in the country and to stimulate the national economy.”

The two PFG commanders declared that they were ready to move forward and stated that they had already started to coordinate and are now aiming to work as one body.

Both the NOC and the PFG commanders agreed to meet at a technical level soon in Zawiya to detail the restructuring of the unit. They also agreed to work on a pilot project to set up a model security force at Erawin, a new oil field in south-western Libya that is due to open in 2021.