Libya-U.S. Relations Proceeding on Positive Trajectory
26 July 2007
Secretary Rice notes new investment, says she hopes to visit "soon"
Washington -- Bilateral relations between Libya and the United States have improved to the point that the United States has appointed its first ambassador to Tripoli since 1972 and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could become the first secretary of state to visit Libya since the Eisenhower administration.
“Libya made an important strategic decision to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction,” Rice said July 25 in an interview with Radio Sawa. “As a result, it has put itself on a path that is leading to investment in Libya by Western companies which could not invest there before.”
Along with American companies’ strong interest in establishing a presence in Libya, Rice added, “I sincerely hope that I will be able to visit there soon.”
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said July 26 that decisions by both countries have put their bilateral relationship “on a fundamentally different trajectory.” If the trend continues, the secretary’s visit “would be, certainly, a signal that it is a different kind of relationship today than it was, say, for example, six years ago,” he said.
Some issues remain outstanding between the two countries, such as the Libyan government’s compensation to the U.S. families and victims of the 1988 Pam Am flight 103 bombing and the 1986 attack on the La Belle disco in West Berlin, which killed several U.S. servicemen.
“There are issues related to human rights and democracy,” McCormack said, as well as a whole range of other issues. “We want to see that worked out and, of course, the United States government wants to see the Libyan government do right by American citizens.” However, he added that fundamentally the compensation would need to be worked out between the Libyan government and representatives of the victims.
“But of course, if … they're still outstanding when [Rice] makes a trip there, then I would expect she's going to push for resolution of them,” he said.
On July 11, President Bush nominated Gene Cretz to become the first U.S. ambassador to Libya since 1972. Cretz’s nomination has been sent to the U.S. Senate and is awaiting confirmation.
Also, following the resumption of diplomatic ties in June 2004, U.S. academic and professional exchange activities such as the Fulbright and International Visitors programs have resumed in Libya after a break of more than 20 years.
According to a July 26 statement by McCormack, in addition to the current exchange programs involving more than 60 individuals, the United States is working with Libyan educational institutions to develop English language teaching capacity.
Asked about France’s agreement with Libya to provide a civil nuclear program, McCormack said the United States supports “the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear energy as an alternative to hydrocarbons,” so long as there is no risk of proliferation.
“I would point out that the Libyan government voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons program. That's certainly a very positive step,” he said. “And, you know, with the appropriate safeguards, I think that you have to look at how Libya might benefit from peaceful nuclear energy.”
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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