France:Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy is preparing an official visit to France, a French government official said yesterday, in what would be the former pariah's first state visit to Paris in more than 30 years.
French newspaper Le Journal du Dimancheearlier reported the visit would take place in December.
Citing a diplomatic source, the paper said the trip would take place before or after a European Union-Africa summit in Lisbon on December 8th to 9th.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy's office confirmed a visit was being arranged but did not give a precise date.
"The president of the Republic went to Libya in July, so it is quite normal that the Libyan leader should do the same thing," said a government official.
Mr Sarkozy signed a defence accord and a memorandum of understanding for a nuclear energy deal during his July trip.
Days later, the French government announced Libya would buy anti-tank missiles and radio systems from European aerospace and defence group EADS.
It denied allegations the arms deal was a trade-off for the release, hours before Mr Sarkozy's arrival in Libya, of a group of foreign medics held in jail for eight years for allegedly infecting Libyan children with HIV.
- (Reuters)