In the first high-level visit in almost 20 years, a British minister arrived in Tripoli yesterday to urge the Libyan leader, Col Muamar Gadafy, to help curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Mike O'Brien, minister for the Middle East, was also sent by the British Prime Minister with the task of sealing Col Gadafy's commitment to the international fight against terrorism.
He is the first British minister to visit Libya since 1984, when a policewoman was killed by a shot fired from the Libyan embassy in London.
This visit "is important for the development of bilateral relations", said Mr Hassuna al- Shawsh, a senior Libyan foreign ministry official.
Mr O'Brien stressed that his visit would not be a "make or break mission" but would rather build on four years of "critical engagement" that had produced some results. "A Libya which co-operates fully with the international community, including on terrorism, is very much in our interests," Mr O'Brien said.
"Our judgment is that in the case of Libya we are more likely to achieve this by encouragement rather than isolation. My message for the Libyan leadership is that we want to see further progress on the outstanding issues between us, on terrorism and on weapons of mass destruction."
Mr O'Brien was due to hold talks with the Libyan Foreign Minister, Mr Abdel Rahman Shalgham, last night and other officials today, officials said, but there was still no confirmation of any meeting with Col Gadafy himself.
"We expect the arrangements to be made at the last minute," the Foreign Office spokesman said in London. - (AFP)