Libyan, US, UK officials meet
Representatives from Libya, the United States, and Britain met yesterday at United Nations headquarters with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss the final lifting of UN sanctions, currently suspended, against Libya.
The meeting comes before a report is to be submitted to the UN Security Council by Annan on Libyan compliance with UN conditions. Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Fred Eckhard, said that Annan hoped yesterday's meeting would facilitate the report.
Eckhard added that the three representatives would present their points of view toward the Security Council resolutions. He added that the Security Council would have the decision on whether to lift the sanctions finally, saying that Annan's report would deal with issues as specified by the Security Council and that it would not make a recommendation regarding the sanctions.
Libya's envoy, Abuzeid Omar Dorda, later called the meeting "useful" and described it as a "very special day" for relations with the United States, Map reported.
Peter Burleigh, the US deputy permanent representative, made no comment after emerging from the 90-minute talks in the Secretary-General's Conference room.
Earlier in the day, an American diplomat, Thomas Shea, played down the significance of the meeting.
"We will tell them (the Libyans) what they need to do in order for sanctions to be lifted," Shea said.
US Undersecretary of State for Near East Affairs Martin Indyk indicated this week that the US doubts that Libya has fulfilled the requirements to have the sanctions lifted, telling a congressional committee, "We do not think the Secretary General will be able to report positively on Libyan compliance with those requirements by the early July deadline for his report."
In his statement to the committee, Indyk specified four actions that the US believes Libya must take for the permanent lifting of UN sanctions: end and renounce support for all forms of terrorism, pay appropriate compensation, acknowledge responsibility for the actions of its officials, and cooperate with the investigation and the trial of the Libyan Lockerbie suspects.
British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock also attended Friday's meeting.
Annan's report is required to be submitted within 90 days of Libya handing over the two Libyans suspected of being involved in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am passenger jet over Lockerbie, Scotland.