- Title: LIBYA: SCHROEDER VISITS LIBYAN OIL WELL, MEETS GADDAFI, LATEST.
- Date: 16th October 2004
- Summary: (EU) TRIPOLI, LIBYA (OCTOBER 14, 2004) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS: GERMAN CHANCELLOR GERHARD SCHROEDER WALKING DOWN STEPS OF PLANE; SCHROEDER BEING GREETED BY OFFICIALS INCLUDING PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER (7 SHOTS) 1.33 2. GV/MV: REPORTERS OUTSIDE TENT; LIBYAN PRESIDENT MUAMMAR GADDAFI GREETS SCHROEDER IN HIS TENT; GADDAFI AND SCHR
- Embargoed: 31st October 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TRIPOLI AND UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, LIBYA
- Country: Libya
- Reuters ID: LVA5S04B10W3RUF0KB6SGPVPKDUE
- Story Text: German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder meets Libyan
leader Muammar Gaddai in Libya.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, visiting Libya
for the first time since the end of its international
isolation, praised the reforms of Muammar Gaddafi and
invited the Libyan leader to visit Germany.
Schroeder, who arrived i Tripoli on Thursday (October
14) is the first German chancellor to travel to Libya and
his trip reflects the North African country's much improved
international standing since Gaddafi vowed to renounce
nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in December.
His visit follows Libya's agreement last month to pay
$35 million in compensation to more than 160 victims of a
Berlin night club bombing in 1986.
Schroeder said the changes in Libya had been impressive
and extended an invitation to Gaddafi to come to Germany.
No date was set for the visit, which German government
sources said would take place "at an appropriate time."
Schroeder was accompanied by business leaders from
companies including Siemens AG and energy groups
Wintershall and RWE Dea AG and the visit was aimed at cementing
economi
c relations with Libya, a major oil
supplier to Germany.
Like other European countries, including Italy and
Britain, Germany is keen to secure a foothold in Libya as
investment and business opportunities open up in the
oil-rich country.
German government sources said Gaddafi had sought to
encourage cooperation between the Arab world and Europe as
a counterbalance to the United States but that Schroeder
had stressed that close relations with both the United
States and Russia were vital to Germany.
Schroeder said that he and Gaddafi had talked about
the Isralei-Palestinian conflict and the dituation in Iraq.
"Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian, we think, I think,
I made clear that we have to go back to the road map
process and that can be the basis for a solution to this
issue", Schroeder said.
The German chancellor was due to leave for Algeria
later on Friday at the end of his visit to Libya, which was
to conclude with a trip to an oil site of BASF unit
Wintershall.
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