Libya willing to sign NPT Additional Protocol, says diplomat

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 22, 2003

Libya willing to sign NPT Additional Protocol, says diplomat

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Libyan officials expressed the country's willingness to sign the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) during talks with Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a diplomat said Sunday.

Libyan senior officials told ElBaradei that Libya would accept the UN nuclear watchdog's unannounced checks of its nuclear facilities, the unidentified Western diplomat said.

"The Libyans confirmed they want to sign the Additional Protocol," said the diplomat. Libya is a signatory to the nuclear NPT.

Diplomats said that signing the Additional Protocol is a "logical" act if Libya is willing to scrap its nuclear weapons program and unveil details of its nuclear activities.

ElBaradei will give details of his talks with Libyan officials on inspections of Libya's nuclear facilities, Austria's APA news agency reported on Sunday.

Libyan officials met ElBaradei at the IAEA headquarters for talks on quitting its programs of weapons of mass destruction on Saturday, a day after Libya declared such intention.

Libya said on Friday it had decided to completely eliminate the internationally banned weapons of mass destruction "on its free will" and would allow inspections of such weapons programs by the international community.

It has been known from the Libyan government that the country had programs for nuclear weapons and has built 10 nuclear sites. Libya had also attempted to acquire nuclear material from other countries, but it is still unable to produce nuclear weapons.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Libya announces to abandon WMD

Blair welcomes Libya's decision to give up WMD

China opposes foreign interference on HK affairs: Official ( 54 Messages)

China seeks int'l support in counter-terrorism ( 12 Messages)

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein arrested ( 101 Messages)

Nanjing Massacre remembered ( 54 Messages)

Abandoned Chinese babies find love from foreign parents ( 3 Messages)