On January 24, 2026, a delegation from the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) participated in the 4th edition of the Libyan Energy and Economy Summit (LEES), which was held in Tripoli (State of Libya). Led by His Excellency Mr. Farid Ghezali, Secretary General of APPO, the delegation made important contacts that will affect the future of the Organization.

Opened on January 24, 2026, under the patronage of the Prime Minister of the State of Libya, H.E. Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, the Libyan Energy and Economy Summit was attended by high-ranking delegations from around the world. The opening ceremony was, among other things, marked by the address of Mr. Masoud Souleymane, CEO of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya who outlined the Libyan government’s new agenda to reposition itself as a global energy source with huge oil and gas reserves. His Excellency the Prime Minister of the State of Libya, His Excellency Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, for his part, said that Libya is now back in the global energy landscape as it benefits from significant opportunities for investment and cooperation in oil, gas and renewable energy. According to him, Libya has set itself long-term objectives: to produce 2 million barrels per day, 8 million barrels of additional reserves, 400,000 barrels of refining under the direction of the Ministry of Oil and Gas and the NOC. He stressed that the country is open to international partnerships and is committed to strengthening its collaboration and partnership with its major partners such as France, America, Turkey, the United Kingdom, etc.
Positioning Libya at the heart of global energy
The opening speeches were accompanied by the signing of three important agreements, demonstrating the Libyan government’s commitment to ushering in a new era in its oil and gas industry. These include the First Amendment to the Agreement for the Return to the Al-Waha Concession Areas, a Memorandum of Understanding between Libyan National Oil Corporation and Chevron, and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Libyan Ministry of Oil and Gas and the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The opening speech session was followed by a ministerial panel on the theme “Strategic Partnerships: Positioning Libya at the Heart of Global Energy”, which was attended by the APPO SG alongside members of the Ministerial Council, Their Excellencies Dr. Khalifa Abdulsadek, Minister of Oil and Gas of the State of Libya and Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as Mrs. Gaudentia Kröhne, Deputy Minister of Industrialization, Mines and Energy, Republic of Namibia.
AEB to unlock the immense potential for regional and cross-border infrastructure
In his presentation, the SG highlighted the Africa Energy Bank with its capital of 5 billion dollars as a solution to Western divestment in hydrocarbons. He explained how Libya and its neighbours could use this vehicle to structure regional risk-sharing mechanisms that stimulate private capital for cross-border infrastructure. Having laid out the history of the Bank’s creation, he stated that for countries such as Libya and its neighbours, the AEB is a transformative tool designed to unlock immense potential, particularly for regional and cross-border infrastructure, as it can effectively structure regional risk-sharing mechanisms to stimulate private capital and ensure that projects like the proposed electricity interconnectors between Libya and Algeria are commercially profitable. SG concluded by emphasizing that the AEB is a catalyst for regional risk sharing and mitigation; it will provide sovereign support, standardize project development and facilitate intergovernmental agreements.

Towards the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between APPO and GECF
On the sidelines of the opening ceremony, the SGs of APPO and GECF, Their Excellencies Mr. Farid Ghezali and Dr. Philip Mshelbila, held a formal one-on-one meeting focused on topics related to strengthening collaboration and cooperation between the two Organizations on issues of common interest for the benefit of their respective Member Countries, as well as a draft signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding between the two institutions. This agreement will mark the beginning of a new era of fruitful cooperation and collaboration between the two Organizations, which share five Member Countries and have the common objective of strengthening the African oil and gas sector through unified and coordinated actions for the benefit of their Member Countries, and by extension the African continent. The two parties agreed to hold the signing ceremony at the APPO Secretariat in Brazzaville.