Shalqam visits London on Monday, al-Tureiki attends a celebration in Washington

An American official in Washington said that the US Department Of State permitted the Libyan ambassador at the UN, Ali Abdul Salam al-Tureiki, to visit Washington to attend the national breakfast party yesterday in the most recent indication on the development of relations between the two countries

Members of the US Congress invited al-Tureiki to the breakfast party. A tradition in Washington which is half a century old, attracting legislators and national religious leaders and even the President himself.

The Libyan envoy used to need a permission to visit Washington because despite that the American government is committed to permit the diplomats accredited at the UN to enter the US, it however, restrict the moves of the delegates from countries with whom relations are tense, including Iran, Libya and Cuba.

Each and every time diplomats of these country want to move outside New York, they have to get the permission of the US Department Of State. The official said that this is an indication that the atmosphere has changed when Congress members invited the Libyan ( permanent representative at the UN), in order to attend the meeting of the pan national breakfast and the permanent representative, and he accepted the "invitation" and the permission was given.

On the other hand, a spokeswoman for the British foreign office said that the Libyan (foreign minister) Abdul Rahman Shalqam will visit London next Monday and Tuesday where he will hold talks with the British foreign office secretary, Jack Straw, and with the prime minister, Tony Blair.

Meantime, an Italian government source said that the prime minister Silvio Berleskony said he will hold talks with the Libyan leader during a short visit to Tripoli on February 10th.