UK upgrades relations with Libya

UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said today that the UK has secured agreements with Libya that allow the upgrading of Libyan - UK relations. "I am upgrading immediately the British Interests Section in Tripoli to Embassy status," in light of the agreements, Cook said.

Cook, in a statement to the House of Commons, said that agreements on the handover of the two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie case for trial by a Scottish court in the Netherlands and on the 1984 killing of a British policewoman cleared the way for the improvement in relations. He said, "In the weeks since the handover of the two Lockerbie suspects, we have been engaged in repeated exchanges with the Libyan Government in an attempt to secure their cooperation with the police investigation." Diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken off as a result of the 1984 incident.

He added that in a joint statement, "Libya accepts general responsibility for the actions of those in the Libyan People's Bureau at the time of the shooting. They express deep regret to the family of WPC Fletcher (the policewoman who was killed) for what occurred and offer to pay compensation now to the family. Libya agrees 'to participate in and cooperate with the continuing police investigation and to accept its outcome.'"

Cook said an ambassador to Libya would be appointed "as quickly as possible."

The joint statement said the two countries "look forward to the development of a full range of contacts and cooperation between the two countries, and their authorities and peoples."