Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1159832
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 AUGUST 2019 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Russia has now sent Malta's sanctions monitoring com- mittee a series of questions re- questing clarifications on Mal- ta's proposed sanctions against the Debonos, which Moscow put on hold before they could be formally presented to the United Nations Security Coun- cil. "The Russian government is clearly aware of the role Debono has played in the Lib- yan smuggling operation – the name cropped up during the talks with Abela – which rais- es questions over where their interests lie," said one highly- placed government source. Abela was also questioned as to why the Maltese government had only launched its sanctions bid a full year after the extent of the smuggling operation was revealed. But another source, privy to details of the foreign ministers' talks, insists both Abela and Lavrov conducted respectful discussions on the fuel-smug- gling sanctions. "The Russians are seeking clarifications on Malta's des- ignation of sanctions. Remem- ber, this is the first time that Malta is venturing into this territory. We know that it all depends on the kind of infor- mation and answers we pro- vide the Russians to influence this process – and as long as the answers are forthcoming, there might be cooperation," the source said. It is not known whether the United States, a supporter of the sanctions against Darren Debono and Gordon Debono, is also lobbying with Russia on the sanctions. The US has already hit the fuel-smuggling ring with a heavy raft of re- strictions through the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC). But a crucial effect of the UN designations would mean further restrictions on the Debonos and their businesses, as well as their ships: Darren Debono's vessels were involved in transhipment activities that took smuggled oil from Libya, to Italy. The foreign ministry insider, however, insisted that Russia's actions are not retribution for Malta's role in blocking the re- fuelling of Russian warships in the Mediterranean, or its re- cent refusal to grant overflight permission to military planes headed to Venezuela to pro- vide President Nicolas Maduro with special troops. "There's neither retaliation over the Kuznetsov affair nor on the Venezuela overflight issue… I think the Russians respect our sovereignty on the matter. It is the Libyan theatre that is of interest to Russia," the source said. Indeed, in his eastern strong- hold, General Khalifa Haftar – who has visited Moscow three times – controls oilfields and ports through his self-styled Libyan National Army. Yet he cannot sell oil because of UN Security Council resolutions, which leaves only the National Oil Corporation, under the control of the UN-backed Gov- ernment of National Accord in Tripoli, as the only entity au- thorised to export crude. Haftar's control of the east and his offensive to win power is dependent on providing Lib- ya's various militias and tribes with money. The NOC also accuses Haftar of attempting to sell Libyan oil illegally, specifically by station- ing a warship off the coast of the Ras Lanuf refinery. So, oil money for Haftar is crucial, and that also depends on the countless middlemen operat- ing in the Mediterranean sea transporting the smuggled oil. In turn the NOC threatens to restrict supply and raise prices, in a bid to temper gov- ernments' attempts to support Haftar by coming down hard on fuel smuggling. Addition- ally, governments are also un- der pressure by dozens of oil companies, who want to re- gain their licences to operate in Libya – most especially To- tal in France, which supports Haftar, and Eni in Italy, which supports the GNA and re- cently struck a deal to rebuild Tripoli International Airport. Yet Haftar's capture of the south now makes this impos- sible. Russian balance Haftar's military offensive suits Russia's diplomatic goals because the LNA's growing hegemony on Libyan oil re- serves is the ultimate prize. It is no secret that Haftar's offensive benefits Russia's diplomatic goals: Moscow has been criticised for blocking a UN resolution condemning Haftar's offensive on Tripoli, allegedly deploying private military contractors in support of the LNA's military activities, and printed dinars for distribu- tion by Haftar's parallel Libyan central bank. However, Russia has main- tained active relations with the GNA and energy giant Rosneft signed a deal to purchase NOC oil in 2016. So amid the Franco-Italian rivalry, Russia's cautiousness has, as its goal, a peace settle- ment that allows it to regain in- fluence and economic benefits: before Gaddafi's overthrow, it had $4 billion in arms con- tracts with Libya. Today, Rus- sian companies are interested in building a $2.5 billion rail- way linking Benghazi to Sirte. Smuggling moves to the east A report by the Global Ini- tiative Against Transnational Organised Crime suggests that LNA attempts to control fuel supplies after the arrest of Debono's Libyan conspirator Fahmi Slim Bin Khalifa – Zu- wara's 'smuggling king' – in September 2017 by a militia, was a cover for smuggling op- erations. The NOC, in fact, revealed that supplies to Beng- hazi and Tobruk in the East after September 2017, were higher than vessels' consump- tion needs for navigation, indi- cating that "quantities are arti- ficially boosted to be smuggled, notably to Malta." "In 2018 sources working in Libya's oil sector identified a suspicious pattern among ves- sels involved in the smuggling of refined petroleum products. Vessels usually call in the ports of Benghazi or Tobruk, or coast the Libyan eastern shores every three weeks to a month, before sailing to destination ports in Egypt, Malta and Cy- prus." After Fahmi Slim's arrest, the report claims "close con- nections between the Maltese and Libyan networks allowed a smooth shift of some of the smuggling activities from Zu- wara [in the west] to the east of the country." NEWS Notice by the Office of the Regulator, IIP (Oriip) The Office of the Regulator, IIP notifies the issuance of an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the LEASING OF OFFICE PREMISES, in a central area, having a floor area of around 130m 2 which should include other related office amenities. The initial agreement will be for a period of five years which may be renewable for a further period. The technical requirements and specifications being requested in this EOI may be obtained by sending an email on oriip.opm@gov.mt or by phoning on 22004381. Submissions for the EOI must reach the ORiip by hand in a sealed opaque envelope and deposited in a sealed box at the Office of the Regulator, IIP, Evans Building, Level 2, Merchants Street, Valletta, by not later than Friday 20 th September, 2019 at 10:00hrs CET. MINISTRY FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT Libyan war backdrop to fuel smuggling Foreign ministers Carmelo Abela and Sergei Lavrov. Below: Lavrov meets General Khalifa Haftar