Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/671725
4 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 27 APRIL 2016 News Government monitoring 'Malta-bound' east Libyan oil shipment MIRIAM DALLI THE Maltese government is in contact with the authorities and "interested countries" over the reported sale of crude oil by the government in eastern Libya to a company based in the United Arab Emirates. The National Oil Corp, based in Tripoli, has called the shipment "illegal" and has tried to stop it from leaving the Marsa al-Hariga port near the Egyptian border. Informed sources have told MaltaToday that the ship carry- ing the oil, Distya Ameya was not authorised to enter Maltese terri- torial waters. Transport Malta, a regulator for shipping, said the Indian-f lagged Distya Ameya was either out of the Malta Vessel Traffic Services range or not transmitting its po- sition. "To date, there was no com- munication from the ship or its representatives with Transport Malta," the authority told Mal- taToday. "In any case, the vessel will be restricted entry in Mal- tese territorial waters. Transport Malta is liaising with the Armed Forces of Malta and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs." A spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Malta confirmed that the army was monitoring the movements of the vessel. "The AFM is working in close liaison with the respective competent authorities including Transport Malta and the Ministry of For- eign Affairs," the spokesperson said. The Ministry for Foreign Af- fairs confirmed that the Maltese government had been informed of the case and was in contact with the authorities "and coun- tries interested in how the case is developing". "The Maltese authorities are ready to take all necessary action based on how the case evolves. There is a continuous exchange of information between the countries involved and the Mal- tese authorities," a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry told MaltaToday. The NOC is Libya's interna- tionally recognised oil company. Libya's laws stipulate that all the country's oil must be pumped and sold via the NOC. Accord- ing to the Wall Street Journal, if completed, "the delivery would create a lucrative revenue stream for Libya's eastern government". If successful, the sale risks en- dangering the tenuous peace pro- cess between the east and west side, the latter enjoying the sup- port of the United Nations. Mohamed Elharari, an NOC spokesperson, told Bloomberg that the national company had informed the UN-backed unity government of the eastern lead- ership's attempt to export oil in- dependently. According to various news out- lets, the tanker Distya Ameya loaded 650,000 barrels of crude pumped from the Messla and Sarir oil fields at eastern Libya's Hariga port. "The ship sailed Monday to Malta, with the cargo sold to DSA Consultancy FZC, a company based in the United Arab Emir- ates," Bloomberg was told. Tripoli-based National Oil Co. wants to stop 'illegal' shipment sailing to Malta, tanker not authorised to enter Maltese territorial waters