afrol News, 14 August - Former arch-rivals, Libya and United States today signed a pact to compensate the 1980's bombings victims from both states, in a bid to restore full diplomatic ties between the two onetime adversaries.

The deal was signed by top US diplomat for Middle East, David Welch and Libyan deputy foreign minister Ahmad Fituri during the last of a series of high-level meetings between both countries.

Agreement ends Libya's legal liability from multiple lawsuits of families of US victims and clears way for restoration of full diplomatic relations between Tripoli and Washington.

Reports indicate that it might also lead to opening of a US embassy and a visit by US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, to Tripoli before end of year.

According to Mr Fituri, the deal will see compensation paid for US victims of Libyan attacks in the 1980s and of the US reprisals that followed.

He told media that signing pact was "crowning of a long process of exhausting negotiations and there was a desire on both sides to find a conclusion to this issue."

Washington reportedly wants Tripoli to fully compensate families of victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, and a Berlin disco bombing that killed two Americans.

Libya, has in the meanwhile, stressed need for a mechanism to compensate victims of US reprisals.

Libya suffered several US air strikes on Tripoli and town of Benghazi on 16 April 1986, in which 41 people were killed, including an adopted daughter of Libyan leader Colonel Moammar Gadaffi's.

Mr Welch arrived in Tripoli yesterday to hold final discussions ahead of signing far-reaching agreement that will see a fund set up to compensate US victims of Libyan-sponsored attacks.

Both US houses of Congress have passed a Bill that grants Libya immunity from lawsuits once compensation has been paid through fund.

US Secretary of State Ms Rice said after the Bill was passed on 1 August that she looked forward to further improvements in ties with north African state.

Media reports meanwhile, said that US president George Bush yesterday sent a message to his Libyan counterpart, in which he expressed his "satisfaction" at improvement in relations between Washington and Tripoli.

Reports further show that Mr Bush's message also stressed "the important role Libya is playing internationally and expressed his hope that cooperation between the two countries would continue."

US-Libyan relations were restored in early 2004 after more than two decades, after Mr Gadaffi announced that Tripoli was abandoning efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

In 2006, US announced a full normalisation of ties, dropping Libya from a State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism and raising diplomatic relations to level of ambassadors.

However, appointment of a US ambassador to Tripoli as well as approval of funds for a new embassy has been held up in Senate.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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