Oil is the only reason Western countries are concerned with what's happening in Libya, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said on Wednesday.
“... we are surprised by the sharp reaction of some Western countries to the slightest disruption in the supply of Libyan hydrocarbons. It seems that Libyan oil is the only matter of concern for them,” Nebenzia said during the UN Security Council meeting on Libya with his colleagues.
Nebenzia added that the conjectural interests of certain actors should not overshadow the urgent need for a political settlement in Libya.
In recent years, blockades of Libya's major oil fields have become more frequent as several armed groups declared themselves Libya's Petroleum Facilities Guard. The groups are demanding payment from the country's National Oil Corporation for guarding oil facilities and have threatened to shut them down if the payment is refused or delayed.
Libya has been ruled by rival governments in the west and the east of the country since 2014. The United Nations-backed Government of National Unity is based in Tripoli, while the east is governed by the Libyan army-backed Government of National Stability. The country's south has been overrun by armed tribal groups.