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| Libya's Gaddafi to visit France | Libya's Gaddafi to visit France |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is due to arrive in France for a five-day official visit, his first since 1973. | Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is due to arrive in France for a five-day official visit, his first since 1973. |
| Colonel Gaddafi was invited after Libya released five Bulgarian nurses and a doctor who had been condemned to death, a case in which France mediated. | |
| The foreign medics were handed over to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ex-wife Cecilia earlier this year. | The foreign medics were handed over to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ex-wife Cecilia earlier this year. |
| Since then, the two countries have been strengthening their bilateral ties with a number of economic deals. | Since then, the two countries have been strengthening their bilateral ties with a number of economic deals. |
| Billion dollar contracts | Billion dollar contracts |
| This is a historic trip for Colonel Gaddafi, who has not visited France since 1973, in the early years of his rule over Libya. | This is a historic trip for Colonel Gaddafi, who has not visited France since 1973, in the early years of his rule over Libya. |
| The local state-run media in Tripoli has yet to comment on the five-day trip. But the Libyan leader's son, Sayef al-Islam Gaddafi, told a French daily newspaper that his father's visit will pave the way for the signing of billions of dollars' worth of contracts. | The local state-run media in Tripoli has yet to comment on the five-day trip. But the Libyan leader's son, Sayef al-Islam Gaddafi, told a French daily newspaper that his father's visit will pave the way for the signing of billions of dollars' worth of contracts. |
| These are expected to include the purchase of Airbus planes, as well as a deal to build a nuclear reactor for civil use in Libya. | These are expected to include the purchase of Airbus planes, as well as a deal to build a nuclear reactor for civil use in Libya. |
| Mr Gaddafi also said that negotiations are underway for the purchase of fighter jets from a French arms company. | Mr Gaddafi also said that negotiations are underway for the purchase of fighter jets from a French arms company. |
| A series of arms and civil nuclear development deals were signed during a trip President Sarkozy made to Libya five months ago. | A series of arms and civil nuclear development deals were signed during a trip President Sarkozy made to Libya five months ago. |
| The French oil company Total has significant investments in the oil-rich North African country. | The French oil company Total has significant investments in the oil-rich North African country. |
| Libya ended decades of isolation from the international community four years ago, when it willingly gave up its pursuit of nuclear arms and renounced terrorism. | Libya ended decades of isolation from the international community four years ago, when it willingly gave up its pursuit of nuclear arms and renounced terrorism. |
| Libyan-French relations have overcome a few stumbling blocks in the past three decades, including the 1989 downing of a French UTA airliner over Niger. | Libyan-French relations have overcome a few stumbling blocks in the past three decades, including the 1989 downing of a French UTA airliner over Niger. |
| Libya accepted responsibility for that bombing and offered a compensation deal to the victims of the crash. | Libya accepted responsibility for that bombing and offered a compensation deal to the victims of the crash. |
| As Libya reaps the benefits of a rapprochement with the West, a fitting description of this new chapter in Franco-Libyan relations seems to be the old saying: it's not personal, it's business. | As Libya reaps the benefits of a rapprochement with the West, a fitting description of this new chapter in Franco-Libyan relations seems to be the old saying: it's not personal, it's business. |