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Rice makes historic Libya visit

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Libya on Friday in the first visit to the country by a US secretary of state in 55 years.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 11:46 September 5, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to Libya signifies a new chapter in US-Libya bilateral relations.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Tripoli: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Libya on Friday in the first visit to the country by a US secretary of state in 55 years.

Rice met Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, marking a renewal of relations with Libya after they were suspended in 1981 when the US called Libya a terror supporter.

"After many, many years, it's a very good thing that the United States and Libya are establishing a way forward," Rice said. "The US, I've said many times, doesn't have any permanent enemies."

Rice was expected to use the visit to send a clear message of the US government's approval for Libya's commitment to stop its nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programmes.

Rice's three-day trip will also take her to Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Portugal.

The US and Libya are expected to sign a trade and investment deal. They are also negotiating a "military memorandum of understanding" on combating terrorism.

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