'We'll pay when sanctions go'

2004-01-02 13:15

Washington - Lybia's prime minister, in an interview published on Friday in The New York Times, urged Washington to lift its sanctions on Libya by May 12, the deadline for Tripoli to complete compensation payments to the families of the victims of the Lockerbie disaster.

Prime Minister Shukri Ghanim said the United States should act quickly to reward Libya for its decision last month to dismantle its secret weapons programmes, a process his government would like to "accelerate to the maximum."

He said a decision on the sanctions was an "internal matter" for the United States, but that it should be aware of deadlines and their consequences.

Libya was under international sanctions for years over the December 1988 bombing of a US airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie that killed 270 people.

The United Nations lifted its embargo in September after Tripoli agreed to pay $2.7bn compensation and accept responsibility for the bombing while denying any guilt. US sanctions remain in place however.

Libya so far has paid $4m to each family of the Lockerbie victims. Under the terms of agreement, it may forgo paying the outstanding compensation payments if US sanctions are not lifted by May 12.

"The agreement says that eight months after the signing, if American sanctions are not removed, then the additional $6m for each family of victims will not be paid," Ghanim told The New York Times.

"So of course, this would be for the good of the families of the victims, but we will leave this to the decision of the Americans," he added.

- AFP