Wednesday, 13 September, 2000: In the highest-level German visit to Libya since Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi took power three decades ago, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was heading to Tripoli Tuesday to thank Libya's authorities for their help in freeing hostages in the Philippines. Earlier Tuesday in Tripoli, Libya welcomed four westerners released Saturday through its mediation. Fischer's visit appeared to be yet another sign that Qadhafi's profile of the Libyan leader, who took power in 1969 and has since been accused by the U.S. of masterminding terrorism. [AFP] Wednesday, 13 September, 2000: The third national conference on the Libyan economy ended in Tripoli Monday. Organised by the liaison office of the Libyan revolutionary "restructuring the Libyan economy on the basis of the third universal theory of the Green Book." In its recommendations, the conference stressed the need "to accelerate the development process of local industries on economic basis that satisfies scientifically the needs of the local market." It reaffirmed the importance of the fight against corruption in all the economic institutions, and the need for the Libyan trade and economy, in general, to take into account the African market, in accordance with the country's new African policy. [PANA] Wednesday, 13 September, 2000: Four Europeans freed after being held for 20 weeks by Muslim rebels in the Philippines have been handed over by Libya to representatives of their governments. The four were handed over at a ceremony broadcast live by Libyan TV at an historic Ottoman fortress in the centre of the capital, Tripoli. Libyan mediation had secured the release of German Marc Wallert, Frenchman Stephane Loisy and Finns Seppo Franti and Risto Vahanen at the weekend. The ceremony was attended by Libyan leader Colonel Qadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, chairman of the Qadhafi International Charity Foundation, which paid ransoms for the men. [BBC] Wednesday, 13 September, 2000: The secretary-general of the Maghreb Arab Union (UMA), Mohamed Amamou, arrived in Tripoli Monday on a visit to Libya, official sources said Tuesday. Amamou's visit, whose duration was not stated, is believed to be part of efforts to strengthen the sub-regional organisation, which groups Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The union was founded in 1989 by North African countries except Egypt, which has an observer status in the organisation. It's activities have been stalled since 1995, mainly because of the dispute between Morocco and Algeria over Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, annexed by Morocco in 1975. [PANA] _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
