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French President Jacques Chirac, right, shakes hand with Serbia
and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic upon his arrival at the
Elysee Palace, Monday, Nov. 22, 2004 in Paris.
(AP) |
French
President Jacques Chirac is to go to Libya on Wednesday, in the first
visit by a French leader since 1951.
Mr Chirac wants to deepen ties with the oil-rich state and continue the
process of normalising relations with Tripoli.
The visit also confirms the gradual return of Libyan leader Col Muammar
Gaddafi to international acceptance.
It follows a similar trip earlier in the year by UK Prime Minister Tony
Blair and then the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder.
Europe lifted its sanctions and arms embargo on Libya after Col Gaddafi
denounced terrorism and agreed to stop developing weapons of mass
destruction.
The last remaining hurdle to restoring relations with France was
overcome in January when Tripoli agreed to pay compensation to the
families of those killed when a French airliner was blown up over Niger in
1989.
President Chirac is taking with him a large delegation of business
leaders keen to win contracts with the oil-rich state, whose economy is
due to be liberalised.
The French leader will stay in Libya on Wednesday night before going on
to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso for a summit of French-speaking nations.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-11-24 10:52