Blair in Libya as BP lands energy deal

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Libya on Tuesday for talks with Muammar Gaddafi as oil giant BP sealed a major energy deal marking stronger British ties with the former outcast state.

Blair arrived in Tripoli and then headed to Gaddafi's home town of Sirte, where he was due to meet the Libyan leader.

In a sign of a developing economic relationship between Britain and Libya that Blair's spokesman called "hugely important," BP negotiated an agreement to explore for natural gas in Libya, according to a Libyan official.

"There is a natural gas exploration deal worth $900 million," Shokri Ghanem, the chairman of state owned National Oil Corporation (NOC), told reporters.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070529/wl_nm/britain_africa_dc

[acmavm]

1. My my my, how the despots and dictators and heads of terrorist

states can be reformed (if they have oil and are willing to let a Western oil company have at it.