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Libya Ready To Sign NPT Additional Protocol
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"Yes.
We agreed to the commitment we are taking in front of the
International Atomic Energy Agency," Ghanem (AFP)
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TRIPOLI,
December 22 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Libya said
Monday, December 22, it is ready to sign an additional U.N. protocol
allowing snap inspections of nuclear facilities, as the Arab country's
officials expressed hopes such moves would improve long-strained
relations with the United States and international community.
Prime
Minister Shukri Ghanem was asked by BBC radio whether Libya would sign
the Additional Protocol on nuclear inspections with the U.N.'s
Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Yes.
We are members of the world community. We are agreed to the commitment
we are taking in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency and
we are willing to abide by its rules and honor our commitments,"
Ghanem said.
Tripoli
wants to make the region free of weapons of mass destruction, and time
is ripe to give an example of countries ready to comply with such a
commitment, the Libyan official said.
He
threw down the gauntlet to Israel which is known as a threshold
nuclear power, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
"Now
it is up to Israel to eliminate its weapons," Ghanim said.
Asked
whether these moves would put an end to the U.S. long-standing
sanctions against Tripoli, the Libyan senior official said the issue
is still up to hopes.
Saying
the decision to scrap the weapons programs meant that "my country
is joining the club of peaceful countries", Ghanem said "we
hope the moves would be reciprocated, appreciated and rewarded"
by Washington.
Libyan
leader Muammar Gaddafi declared Friday it was renouncing
its banned weapons programs in a bid to improve relations with the
United States and Britain.
'Inspections
Will Follow'
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"Inspections
will follow, as early as next week," ElBaradei (AFP)
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International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed ElBaradei said his team
will begin inspections of suspected nuclear sites in Libya as early as
next week.
ElBaradei
said he would be traveling to Tripoli next week with a team of experts
from the U.N. watchdog.
"Inspections
will follow, as early as next week," he said.
ElBaradei
confirmed that Tripoli was ready to sign an agreement allowing UN
inspectors to stage surprise inspections.
During
much of his rule, Libya has been under U.S. or U.N. sanctions, accused
of sponsoring or carrying out terrorist acts ranging from bombing
airliners to training guerrillas.
The
moves, which could prompt the lifting of U.S. sanctions and return of
U.S. oil companies, mark an about-face for Gaddafi, Libya's leader for
34 years.
Libyan
Foreign Minister Mohamed Abderrhmane Chalgam told reporters on Monday
that Libya will welcome back U.S. oil companies should Washington lift
sanctions against it.
"The
U.S. has oil advantages in Libya," Chalgam said.
"We
will try to convince U.S. oil companies to return," Chalgam was
quoted by Reuters as saying.
"We
currently produce 1.5 million barrels per day and we aim to increase
the oil output to 3.0 million bpd in 2020," said Chalgam, in
Algiers for a North African summit on the Sahara scheduled for Tuesday
but postponed due to disagreements between Algeria and Morocco.
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