Libyan official: libya ready to have relations with USA, on basis of mutual respect

Libya is ready to have with the United States of America relations based on mutual respect, and even cooperation relations, said Abdeslam Triki, secretary of Libya's people committee for African Unity (minister).

"We are ready at any time to work with the USA for relations normalization," he said at a press briefing Sunday on the eve of a visit by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

"Libya's policy is defined by the people and the leadership and there is no problem between us and Americans," he said noting, however, "we have been living, and still can live, without these relations."

While Libya is ready to cooperate and open dialogue with the USA in the frame of respect of mutual interests, it refuses dominion or to be dictated any conditions.

Triki recalled that his country used to be the USA's 2nd largest trade partner in the Arab world and that before relations were frozen, the annual volume of trade exceeded six billion dollars.

Although the Lockerbie case harmed Libya and entailed tremendous economic and human sacrifices, Libya continued to play its historical and political role both in the Arab world and in Africa, he insisted.