The mother of a Lockerbie bombing victim today expressed doubts over the timing of talks between Libya, the UK and the United States over the lifting of United Nations sanctions.
Jane Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing in 1988 aged 23, described the talks as "premature" in the light of an appeal by the Libyan man found guilty last month of the atrocity.
Mrs Swire's husband Jim is the spokesman for the UK Families of Flight 103 group.
Representatives of the three governments were due to sit down at the UN in New York today.
Scotland Minister Brian Wilson said the talks would focus on how Libya could fulfil the remaining requirements of the UN Security Council.
These include Libya accepting responsibility for the actions of its officials and paying appropriate compensation, he said.
The talks follow last month's decision of Scottish judges in Holland who found Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi guilty of mass murder after the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie. The other defendant, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, was acquitted of the same charge at the end of the trial, which was conducted under Scottish law.
Mrs Swire, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, said today: "There is going to be an appeal by Al Megrahi's legal team and it would seem more appropriate to get this out of the way first. "I think some of the relatives may consider these talks are a little premature in the light of the appeal.
"The more that people talk after the legal processes are out of the way, the better it will be for everyone.
"But until then, I can't see what progress can be made with the Libyans."
PA