EU Parliamentarian Ends Libyan Visit Panafrican News Agency September 18, 2000 Tripoli, Libya The deputy-speaker of the European parliament, Berhard Shcmidt, left Tripoli Sunday, after a three-day visit to Libya during which he had talks with government officials on co-operation issues. Schmidt and his delegation were received, shortly before their departure by the Libyan leader, Col. Moammar Kadhafi, for talks centred on relations between Libya and the EU, official sources said in Tripoli. In a press statement, Shmidith commended Kadhafi's efforts at promoting co-operation between Africa and Europe based on reciprocity and mutual respect. He pledged to strengthen co-operation between the two continents. Relations between Libya and the EU hit an all-time low following the 1988 bombing of a PAN-AM airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which all 270 people on board died. The UN subsequently imposed sanctions on Libya, with the US and Britain pressurising Tripoli to hand over two Libyans suspects for trial. The UN sanctions were finally lifted in April 1999 when Libya agreed to hand over the two suspects for trial in a neutral country instead of the US or Britain. Relations between Tripoli and the EU have also normalised since the lifting of sanctions. The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, is reported to have hinted on the possibility of a visit by Kadhafi to the Commission's Brussels headquarters in a telephone conversation with the Libyan leader in December 1999. _______________________________________________________ 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] _______________________________________________________
