EU:EU leaders heralded a new era in Europe-Libyan relations yesterday following the release of six medics accused of deliberately infecting children with HIV.
Improved access to the EU market for Libyan products, the offer of more visas for Libyan nationals and more student exchanges are just a few of the elements of a deal struck to facilitate the prisoner releases.
The EU will also ask governments and other bodies to make "voluntary contributions" to an international fund set up to provide $460 million to support the families of the children infected by HIV and the Libyan health sector. On her return from Libya yesterday, EU external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner rejected criticism that the EU had paid too high a price for the deal.
"It's about better facility of access, for example of Libyan goods, it's about questions even of archaeology and restoration, it's about surveillance of the borders," said Ms Ferrero-Waldner, who added that Libya was a very important state for Europe.
Portuguese foreign minister Luis Amado, who represented the EU presidency in the talks, said it was in the EU's strategic interest to have "normal relations" with Libya.
The draft memorandum on EU/Libyan relations, which also includes partnerships on archaeological restoration and fighting illegal immigration, will be presented to EU foreign ministers for discussion in October.
But work on the normalisation of diplomatic relations may come sooner as French president Nicolas Sarkozy travels to Libya today for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy.
France's central role in the negotiations to free the medics was underlined by the unorthodox intervention of Mr Sarkozy's wife, Cecilia. She has visited Tripoli twice in recent weeks and played a key role in finalising the deal to free the medics.
The intervention of the unelected spouse of the French president has raised eyebrows in Brussels, which through Ms Ferrero-Waldner has worked patiently to try to get a breakthrough. Left-wing critics in France have also accused the Sarkozys of crudely gate-crashing an EU mission. But EU observers speculate that the emerging French-Libyan relationship will help Paris to reap future economic rewards in Libya.
The deal should boost EU- Libya ties, which have improved since Tripoli gave up plans to develop weapons of mass destruction.
There are already at least 30 foreign firms operating in the Libyan oil and gas sector and further expansion is likely if the improved relations continue.
Italy is currently the top EU supplier of goods and services to Libya followed by Germany, Britain and France.