The Arab League announced Monday that its member states will stop applying United Nations sanctions on Libya "as soon as possible", calling the UN Security Council for an immediate and final lifting of all the sanctions.
No precise date was announced for the action, which is supposed to be implemented on a bilateral basis, sources close to the League said.
The final communique of the Arab League ministerial council called on the United States to settle problems blocking the way for normalizing relationships with Libya, leaving the Lockerbie issue to the courts.
The UN Security Council lifted some sanctions in April 1999 after Libya handed over two of its nationals to face charges of involvement in the 1988 downing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people were killed.
The United States remains opposed to a full lifting of the sanctions.
Monday's ministerial council statement also expressed solidarity with Libya in demanding "a just and honest trial for its suspect citizens, taking into consideration their legal and human rights during and after the trial".
The Arab foreign ministers, who met for two days in Cairo, also said pledged that they are committed "to support the Libyan right of getting fair compensation for human and financial damages because of the sanctions". – (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
