In a speech delivered on behalf of the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the Minister of Finance Khalid Al-Mabrouk said at the opening of the “Supporting the Oil and Gas Sector” forum organized by the Libyan National Oil Corporation NOC in Istanbul, Turkey, that Dbeibah had called on global oil companies to resume their activities in Libya, given the current “state of stability”.

The participants from Libya included the Central Bank of Libya, the Audit Bureau, a number of ministers, the Libyan Investment Authority, and the Libyan Foreign Bank, in addition to Italy’s Eni, France’s Total, US ConocoPhillips, Spain’s Repsol, Austria’s OMV, and Germany’s Wintershall. Local companies operating in the sector included Zueitina, Al-Waha, Arabian Gulf, Acacus, Mellitah, Sarir, Harouge, and Al-Mabrouk.

The statement said that Dbeibah reaffirmed in his speech the government’s support for the efforts made by the NOC to support the activation of agreements and the conclusion of new ones that contribute to increasing oil and gas production.

The statement cited the Chairman of the NOC Farhat Bengdara as hailing the role of the government, the army and other state institutions in stabilizing and supporting the sector, considering that an encouraging factor for the return of global companies.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Al-Siddiq Al-Kabir, said the current plan that helps state institutions provide support and assistance, and the follow-up committee for the exceptional oil budget contributed to the stability of the sector.

The Istanbul forum aimed to present the NOC’s tripartite plan and vision to increase production in the fields of oil and gas, support the banking sector and financial institutions for its programs and projects, and discuss partnership between the Libyan private sector and foreign companies operating in the field.