The European Union on Monday decided to end 12 years of sanctions against Libya and eased an arms embargo after Tripoli gave up plans to develop weapons of mass destruction.
The U.N. sanctions were declared in 1992 to force Libya to hand over two Libyan agents indicted for the 1988 bombing of an American airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. They were expanded a year later.
The Security Council suspended the sanctions after the two agents were delivered for trial in 1999 and abolished them in 2003 after Libya decided to compensate families of Lockerbie victims and a 1989 bombing of a French airliner over Niger.
According to The AP, European firms are intrested to invest in Libya's substantial oil reserves and get its cooperation in ending the flow of illegal immigrants into Europe. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
