LIBYA: The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, will make an official visit to Libya today, drawing a close to two decades of international isolation for the regime of Col Muammar Gadafy.
The prime minister will meet Col Gadafy in a tent on the outskirts of the Libyan capital.
Mr Blair last night defiantly said he was determined to reach out to Libya as a reward for renouncing terrorism and the development of weapons of mass destruction. He added his meeting did not mean "forgetting the pain of the past". But he said it did mean "recognising change when it happens".
"Let us offer to states that want to renounce terrorism and the development of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons our hand in partnership to achieve it as Libya has rightly and courageously decided to do," Mr Blair told a news conference during a visit to Lisbon yesterday.
Libya announced in December it was abandoning any efforts to acquire nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, a new attempt to mend ties with the West after agreeing to pay damages for the 1988 PanAm plane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people.
"We believe Gadafy has made important strategic decisions on weapons of mass destruction and on Lockerbie and we want to demonstrate our support for those decisions," a senior British government official told reporters yesterday.
Some critics asked however whether the prime minister's mission was more about trade than politics.
Royal Dutch/Shell may sign an outline deal within days for offshore gas exploration rights, he said, while defence contractor BAE Systems announced it was in talks on aviation projects, including potential aircraft sales.
Mr Blair will also offer UK military training for Libyan troops.
Charity Oxfam criticised any potential arms deals.
"Decisions on arms sales should be based on issues of conflict, human rights and poverty. Using them as a reward for short-term political co-operation smacks of the bad old days of British arms policy," said spokesman Mr Phil Bloomer.
Washington sent a senior official to meet Col Gadafy on Tuesday. Mr William Burns, the highest ranking member of an American government to visit Libya in more than 30 years, reportedly had "good discussions" with Gadafy.
Libyan Foreign Ministry spokesman Mr Hassouna Chaouch said the talks were a positive step in building ties of trust between Tripoli and Washington while Mr Blair's visit would "illustrate the excellent relations that exist between Libya and Great Britain". - (Reuters)