Secretary Rice arrives in Libya on historic visit
Washington, 5 September (IranVNC)—US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Libya’s capital Tripoli today, the first visit by a US secretary of state to the North African country in 55 years.
By: IranVNC
Published: Friday, September 05, 2008
16:05GMT—12:05PM/EST
US – LIBYA – RICE – DIPLOMACY
Washington, 5 September (IranVNC)—US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Libya’s capital Tripoli today, the first visit by a US secretary of state to the North African country in 55 years.
“It is an historic moment … that has come after a lot of difficulty and the suffering of many people, that will never be forgotten or assuaged,” Rice told reporters in Lisbon, Portugal during a stopover, Reuters reported.
The visit marks the full renewal of relations between the U.S. and Libya, which were suspended in 1981 when Washington put Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s government on its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The last visit by a US secretary of state was by John Foster Dulles in 1953.
“This came out of the historic decision that Libya made to give up its weapons of mass destruction and to renounce terrorism,” Rice was quoted by AFP as saying.
Qaddafi announced in December 2003 that Libya was renouncing weapons of mass destruction and its nuclear program.
Earlier this week, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs David C. Welch said that the Libya could be a model for other states, such as Iran and North Korea, to abandon their nuclear, chemical and biological programs.
“And it's very useful to be able to say, look, if you made a different choice, there is a path forward here, you can get out of this box if you behave responsibly,” Welch said on 2 September.
Upon arriving in Tripoli, Reuters reports Rice saying that her visit proves the U.S. has “no permanent enemies”.
The White House today said that Rice’s trip signifies a “new chapter” in US-Libyan relations.
According to Reuters, Rice refrained from visiting Libya until a compensation package was signed last month that covers legal claims involving victims of US and Libyan bombings.
Rice will meet with Qaddafi and share Iftar with him – the meal for breaking the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. She will also hold talks with Libya’s Foreign Minister Abdelrahman Mohammed Shalgam.
Washington is negotiating a “Military Memorandum of Understanding” with Tripoli, the State Department said in a statement released on 2 September. It said that the two sides intend to sign a trade and investment framework agreement “in the near future”.
Rice will also visit Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco during her four-day tour of North African states, which ends Sunday.
Sources: State Department website, Reuters, Agence France-Presse
© IranVNC 2008. All rights reserved.