Libya says UK decision to resume ties should speed up normal relations
Libya-UK, Politics, 7/8/1999

Libyan Ambassador Abuzed Omar Dorda said on Wednesday that Britain's decision to resume diplomatic relations with his country should speed up the lifting of sanctions.

"They should be lifted, because Libya really met all its commitments towards the Security Council, so there is no reason, at all, to delay the sanctions' lifting," Dorda told reporters as he was entering a closed meeting of the council which was reviewing the seven-year old arms and air embargo.

"Libya did not cut relations with any country, and now that this step has been taken we will have normal relations with Britain and reestablish diplomatic relations very soon and increase our cooperation," the Libyan diplomat went on.

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook announced earlier on Wednesday readiness to reopen diplomatic relations with Libya following an agreement by the North African country to pay compensation to the family of a British policewoman shot dead outside the Libyan Embassy in London in 1984.

The Security Council suspended the sanctions last month after Libya handed over two suspects in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.

The two Libyans will be tried in the Hague under Scottish law.

Meanwhile, the non-aligned members of the 15-nation council circulated a draft resolution calling for the complete end to the sanctions. The five are Bahrain, Gabon, Gambia, Malaysia and Namibia.

Dorda sent a letter to the council on Tuesday, arguing that Libya already had complied fully with UN demands for cooperation, and, therefore, the sanctions should be ended.

But the United States wants "further progress" by Libya before the final step can be taken.

The USA told Libya during a recent tripartite meeting that included Britain and Libya that sanctions would remain suspended until Libya has cooperated fully with the Lockerbie trial of the two suspects in the Hague.

A Chinese diplomat said the US had told council members if the non-aligned draft was presented to a vote, it would use its veto.

Previous Stories:
  UK upgrades relations with Libya   (7/7/1999)
  British house of commons delegation arrives in Tripoli   (7/6/1999)
  Britain lifts embargo from Libya   (6/10/1999)
  Libyan - British cooperation highlighted   (6/8/1999)

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