German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Tripoli in October 2004 for the first visit by a postwar German head of government to Libya, holding two hours of talks with Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi in a traditional tent.
The two men disagreed sharply on Iraq. Kadhafi blamed the United States for continuing violence and demanded an American pullout. Schroeder expressed doubt about a sudden withdrawal. They also took opposing positions on Washington's broader role in the Middle East.
On bilateral ties, the two sides agreed to deepen the relationship. The previous month Libya had paid compensation to 168 survivors, most of them German, of the 1986 Berlin nightclub bombing. Kadhafi also accepted an invitation to visit Germany.
Schroeder brought 25 German corporate executives with him and opened a Wintershall oil well in the Libyan desert. The chancellor said Libya's infrastructure rebuilding offered "great opportunities" for German companies.
A second Kadhafi session was planned for Schroeder to press on counterterrorism cooperation. Kadhafi separately asked Germany to help clear landmines left by German forces during World War II. The visit followed an EU decision that week to lift its arms embargo on Libya, and came days after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had paid a similar call.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.