By DPA,
Washington : Libyan and US officials held two days of talks in London this week to begin negotiations on terrorism-related issues, a joint statement issued by US state department said.
“Both parties affirmed their desire to work together to resolve all outstanding claims in good faith and expeditiously through the establishment of a fair compensation mechanism,” the joint statement said Friday .
The cases involve the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people, the bombing of a Berlin disco frequented by Americans in 1986 and the downing of a French airliner in 1989 carrying US citizens over Niger.
The US announced in May 2006 that it was restoring ties with Libya after leader Moamer Gaddafi agreed to abandon the country weapons of mass destruction programmes. Since then, Libya has moved more solidly into the international community, serving as rotating president of the UN Security Council earlier this year.
US companies are keen on contracts to develop the country’s oil and gas reserves and other projects. Libya, which holds Africa’s largest oil reserves, aims to increase output to three million barrels of crude a day by 2013 from 1.77 million barrels in April, Bloomberg financial news agency reported.