Qathafi gets invitation to visit Belgium
Libya-Belgium, Politics, 2/17/2004

Libya's Leader of the Revolution Colonel Muammar al Qathafi received an invitation from the Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt to visit Belgium in a step that reflects the increasing European openness to Tripoli.

The Libyan official news agency said the Belgian foreign minister Louis Michael handed over on Sunday evening a message from the Belgian prime minister in which he commended the Libyan decision to get rid off the programs and equipments that are conducive to producing internationally banned weapons.

In his message, the Belgian prime minister invited the Libyan leader to visit Belgium, considering that this visit will be an occasion to strengthen relations between the two countries on the one hand and between Libya and the European Union, on the other hand.

Michael who arrived in Libya on Sunday signed with his Libyan peer Abdul Rahman Shalqam an agreement aiming at encouraging investment and joint cooperation between the two countries in various cultural, economic, trade, scientific and tourism fields.

Western delegations have recently visited Libya after al-Qathafi announced in December, 2003 giving up weapons programs following secret negotiations that lasted for nine months with the US and Britain.

On February 10th, the Italian prime minister Sylvio Berliskoni was the first western leader to visit Libya following this decision. A US Congress delegation met last Friday with Qathafi and announced that Washington will shortly lift the sanctions imposed on Libya if it continued weapons dismantling policy.

Previous Stories:
  Belgian delegation to visit Libya   (3/30/2000)
  Libyan foreign minister confers with Belgian counterpart   (10/20/1999)

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