AL welcomes UN Security Council's new decision on Libya

The Arab League (AL) has welcomed the announcement made by the UN Security council to approve the suspension of sanctions imposed on Libya as soon as the two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie case are handed over for trial in Holland.

In a statement he made in Cairo on Wednesday, AL Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid said the AL general secretariat welcomes any step that helps in lifting the sanctions from Libya as well as lifting the siege and sufferings from the Arab people in Libya.

He stressed that the AL sees that the sanctions have been applied for a long time, and it is now time to lift them rather than only suspending them, especially as Libya has officially announced its agreement to hand over the two suspects and as Libya has shown complete flexibility in dealing with this issue according to international rules and laws.

Meanwhile, sources at the Arab League said the AL sees that this matter does not only pertain to lifting sanctions but to working to ensure all guarantees for the two suspects to receive a fair and just trial.

The AL sources also stated that Libya's decision to establish a consulate in Scotland to follow up on matters relating to the two suspects, if they are convicted, is an important step that the AL welcomes.