Libya will soon send a working group to Ukraine to study the economic feasibility of Kyiv's proposal to build an oil refinery with an annual processing capacity of up to ten million tonnes, Secretary of the Libyan General People's Committee al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi has said.
“I confirm my desire to build an oil refinery in Ukraine and soon send a working group to conduct an economic estimation of the project,” he said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in Tripoli on Tuesday.
“Libya is also planning to participate in the privatization of the Odesa Portside Plant, if there are respective economic calculations,” the Libyan premier added.
Tymoshenko, in turn, said that during their talks, the sides had agreed on possible supplies of Libyan oil to Ukraine.
She said that the construction of the oil refinery is economically expedient and that the portside zone would be the optimal site for this plant.
Al-Mahmudi also said that Libya was planning to open an investment office in Ukraine, in addition to the representation office of the Libyan African Investment Fund opened in Mat last year.
Among joint projects that are the most attractive for Libya, he pointed to the so-called project on 100,000 hectares proposed five years ago, which foresees the growing of grain crops for Libya in Ukraine.
He recalled that this project had been suspended for bureaucratic reasons, and expressed hope that the Ukrainian premier and Agriculture Minister Yuriy Melnyk would keep their promises regarding the implementation of this project. He pointed to Ukraine’s assurances that such a land plot existed. He also welcomed Kyiv’s proposal to extend this project through the allocation of land to build grain elevators.
Tymoshenko, in turn, expressed hope that Ukrainian-Libyan cooperation in the sphere of aircraft building and military and technical areas would be stepped up.
She said that her government was planning to bring Ukraine’s relations with Libya to a new stage, which foresees the clear observance by Kyiv of its commitments and promises.
Tymoshenko also thanked Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his proposal to increase the status of the inter-governmental commission to the level of premiers.
The sides also pointed to serious plans for the development of bilateral relations in the social sphere. Al-Mahmudi said that it had been agreed to relax the travel of Ukrainians and Libyans between their countries and to start preparing for the introduction of a visa-free regime.
Tymoshenko said that Ukraine was ready to receive Libyan students, provide part of them with stipends, and also confirmed Ukraine’s intention to send its doctors to Libya.
Last year’s trade between Ukraine and Libya fell to $124.9 million, compared to $180.5 million in 2008. The import of Libyan goods to Ukraine does not exceed several hundred thousand dollars a year, while the export of steel and grain crops from Ukraine covers over 90% of Ukraine’s exports.
