Switzerland suspends Libya normalization deal

2009-11-04

Swiss government’s decision to suspend August deal with Libya is due to Tripoli’s refusal of all cooperation.

GENEVA - Switzerland on Wednesday announced that it was suspending a deal aimed at normalizing relations with Libya, in a deepening spat with the North African country over two Swiss citizens held there.

The Swiss government said in a statement that it had suspended an agreement struck with Libya on August 20 that aimed to resolve a dispute sparked by the brief arrest of one of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's sons in Geneva over a year ago.

"The agreement has been suspended," government spokesman Andre Simonazzi said after a cabinet meeting.

"It is common knowledge that Libya is refusing all cooperation," he added, as the government highlighted the plight of two Swiss businessmen held by Libyan authorities.

"The Federal Council (government) has therefore decided to suspend the agreement signed on August 20 in Libya," the statement said.

Simonazzi also said that Switzerland would continue its restrictions on visas for Libyan travelers "until further notice."

Swiss ministers have repeatedly accused Libya in recent weeks of systematically failing to abide by the agreement reached after a controversial apology delivered by Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz over the arrest.

Tripoli first launched a series of retaliatory sanctions against Switzerland over the Kadhafi arrest in July 2008, and prevented the two Swiss businessmen from leaving Libya on alleged immigration offenses.

However, instead of being allowed out of the country under the deal, the two went missing nearly a month later after they were invited out of the Swiss embassy, where they had been staying, for a medical check-up.

Libya has said they were being held in a "safe" location in "good" circumstances.

But the Swiss government reiterated on Wednesday that it had no news on where the two were being held and that diplomats had not been allowed to visit them.

Two weeks ago, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey accused Libya of "kidnapping" the businessmen.

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=35505.