17/02/2004

Nuclear watchdog chief to return to Libya

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency has confirmed that he will visit Libya next week to ensure that its nuclear programme has been placed on an exclusively peaceful footing.

The Director-General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, will meet with senior Libyan officials on February 23 and 24.

This will be Mr ElBaradei's second visit since Tripoli announced in December that it intended to comply with UN conventions governing the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Last December, the Libyans agreed to take the necessary steps to provide the IAEA with broader inspection rights, and to pursue a policy of full transparency and active co-operation with the Agency, a spokesperson for the nuclear watchdog said.

During his previous visit, Mr ElBaradei said Libya's nuclear programme was “at an early stage of development”.

Last year, Libya made commitments to the UN that it will undertake to eliminate "materials, equipments and programmes which lead to the production of internationally proscribed weapons".

(gmcg)

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