Parliamentary Committee Convenes with Russian UN Envoy to Discuss Frozen Assets

A key parliamentary committee tasked with monitoring Libya’s frozen assets abroad held high-level discussions in New York concerning the fate of these overseas holdings. The committee, formally established by the House of Representatives Decree No. 1 of 2018, was led by Yousef Ibrahim Al-Aqouri, head of the Verification Committee for Frozen Libyan Funds Abroad, and included Omar Tantoush, Chairman of the Planning, Finance, and General Budget Committee, and Murad Ahmeima from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They met with the Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy, at the Russian Permanent Mission in New York.
The discussion focused on mechanisms for potential cooperation with the Russian side on safeguarding these funds. This involved reviewing proposals submitted by the Verification Committee aimed at protecting these assets and preventing any encroachment outside the established legal and oversight framework dictated by relevant UN resolutions. Mission to the United Nations
Ambassador Polyanskiy confirmed Russia’s support for any proposals that would help shield Libyan wealth and serve the interests of the Libyan people, reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to positive engagement with the House of Representatives and relevant Libyan institutions. The meeting also covered the latest political and economic developments in Libya and the Russian Federation’s role in supporting the UN-led path to resolving the crisis, alongside exploring ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Parallel Talks with UN Security Council Panel and Committee Proposals
In a related development, the Verification Committee also met separately with the UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Libya. Discussions here focused on the broader UN mechanism governing frozen Libyan assets, specifically highlighting the negative consequences arising from the current freezing arrangements. The Committee presented a series of practical proposals to the Panel of Experts designed to remedy the existing shortcomings within the sanctions regime, aiming to strike a balance between international obligations and the Libyan state’s right to secure its resources.
Concluding their engagement, the Committee stressed the necessity that all frozen Libyan assets, along with their accrued returns and profits, must remain safeguarded and protected until permanent state institutions are established based on a permanent constitution for the country. They reaffirmed the House of Representatives’ commitment to ensuring the preservation of the Libyan people’s funds and their management according to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.