http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5546898-146/libya_and_eu_patch_up_schengen.csp


Libya lifted a visa ban on citizens of 25 European countries on Saturday after EU president Spain said a Swiss-instigated visa blacklist against 188 Libyans in those countries had been scrapped.

The end to the visa ban and the Schengen zone blacklist will likely defuse a crisis that has threatened to damage growing business ties between Europe and oil exporter Libya.

"In the interests of strengthening its cooperation with the European Union, Libya lifts the restrictions it earlier imposed on the citizens of the Schengen zone," Libya's Foreign Ministry said in a communique carried by JANA, the state news agency.

Spain's foreign ministry had earlier issued a statement announcing the visa blacklist had been torn up and expressed regret as part of a diplomatic drive by EU leaders.

"Libya expresses its appreciation at the European Union for this move," JANA quoted the Foreign Ministry statement as saying. "This is a defeat for Switzerland by means of collective European action. Libya accepts the EU decision, "

Libya stopped issuing visas to citizens from the Schengen borderless travel zone in retaliation for Switzerland, a Schengen member, barring entry to 188 Libyan citizens including the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi and members of his family.

The Swiss move prevented the blacklisted Libyans from entering any of the other Schengen states because the terms of the Schengen agreement obligate all members to refuse visas to citizens of countries blacklisted by fellow Schengen nations.

The Schengen area is a borderless travel zone grouping 22 EU nations plus Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.

Geneva arrest

The Spanish statement was issued after Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos arrived for talks in the Libyan town of Sirte, where Gaddafi is this weekend hosting a summit of the Arab League.

"All the names of the Libyan citizens included in the list of the Schengen information system have been removed," the ministry said in a statement which it said came from Spain's EU presidency.

"We regret and deplore the trouble and inconvenience caused to those Libyan citizens. We hope that this move will not be repeated in the future."

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi -- whose country has some of Europe's closest business ties to Libya and who has criticized the Swiss visa blacklist -- was also in Sirte on Saturday as Gaddafi's guest.

Switzerland has been locked in a diplomatic dispute with oil exporter Libya since July 2008, when police in Geneva arrested Hannibal Gaddafi, a son of the Libyan leader, on charges of mistreating two domestic employees.

In February Gaddafi urged jihad against Switzerland and earlier this month Libya slapped a trade embargo against Switzerland.

The charges were swiftly dropped and Hannibal Gaddafi was released, but Libya stopped oil exports to Switzerland and withdrew millions of dollars from Swiss banks.

The Swiss government is pushing for the release from prison of Max Goeldi, a Swiss businessman who was barred from leaving Libya soon after Hannibal Gaddafi's arrest. He is serving a four-month sentence for breaking immigration rules.

Libyan officials deny any connection between Goeldi's prosecution and Hannibal Gaddafi's arrest.

A senior Libyan official, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters on Friday that Goeldi would be freed "very soon." Goeldi's lawyer said if his client was to be released early it would happen after the summit ends on Sunday.





Imagine see the Comments Made By Umar Musa Yaradua in 2008 when he Visited George Bush at White House "For me to see Bush today is the most important thing to happen in my life" -

So no respect for Nigeria if our President Can be Making this Statement

this is the world we living in: MONEY TALK, B.U.L.L.Poo WALKS!!!!!!

Thumbs up to Libya.

I do not subscribe to some of Gadaffi's ideologies but gosh I wish our leaders had a quarter of Gadaffi's gut.

I wish they could call the bluff of America and The Europeans.

Gadaffi and the citizens of Libya are practically untouchable anywhere in the world.

Indeed Gadaffi is a True Leader of Africa

The Swiss action originated from the arrest of Gadaffi's nephew after he brutalised some of his domestic employees. Look at you monkeys queuing up to lick Gadaffi's behind - as if you're in support for domestic violence and the brutal treatment of domestic workers.

Libya was clearly the wrong party here at least initially.

texazzpete:

The Swiss action originated from the arrest of Gadaffi's nephew after he brutalised some of his domestic employees. Look at you monkeys queuing up to lick Gadaffi's behind - as if you're in support for domestic violence and the brutal treatment of domestic workers.

Libya was clearly the wrong party here at least initially.

In the grand of scheme of things nobody supports some of Gadaffi's actions but his pragmatism, bullishness and no-nonsense attitude cannot be ignored. Dude really calls the bluff of the so-called power nations.

gaddafi well theres something our ultimatum giving senators can learn from you

barnabasj:


Indeed Gadaffi is a True Leader of Africa

HOW?

@Bluetooth Gadaffi has proof to them that African too are very important and goonna the days wey d Oyinbo will just be overiding us, H e has make them to know our important and existence.

Thumbs up on this one , i cannot forget the day in 2004 when Tony Blair flew to Gaddafis tent in Libya to go shake his hand . The same mad dog Ghadaffi Tacther and Raegan called a mad dog and tried to assasinate.

This guy really has some good part and he wins my respect on his no nonsense attitude.

@Topic

And maybe David Mark and his paymasters may consider doing the same thing.

texazzpete:

The Swiss action originated from the arrest of Gadaffi's nephew after he brutalised some of his domestic employees. Look at you monkeys queuing up to lick Gadaffi's behind - as if you're in support for domestic violence and the brutal treatment of domestic workers.

Libya was clearly the wrong party here at least initially.

Nobody is disputing the facts that culminated in the bans and counter bans, what peeps here are appreciating is the fact that he made it clear to them that since they don't want Libyans, Libyans equally don't want them (and let's see who will be the loser). If it was Nigeria we would have ended up licking their booths by dancing to their tune.

barnabasj:


@Bluetooth  Gadaffi has proof to them that African too are very important and goonna the days wey d Oyinbo will just be overiding us,  H e has make them to know our important and existence.

he was never a good person when it comes to diplomacy,so its no big deal that he was able to hold his ground on the issue.his country has been on the united states terrorist list for long until recently when the states delisted it.what did ghadaffi do to the us govt?

If this is what it takes to be a mad man. . .wouldnt we rather our leaders are mad in this country

~Bluetooth:

he was never a good person when it comes to diplomacy,

Becoz to you diplomacy is all about kissing the western as.s.

so its no big deal that he was able to hold his ground on the issue.

If that is not a big deal, who from Nigeria has ever stood his/her ground on the US inclusion of Nigeria on Terrorist watchlist?

sometime african leaders should learn how to be independent as Libya, that is the only way they can stood their ground on some illed foriegn policy from the west against african nations.