France in nuclear deal with Libya after medics’ release

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has concluded an agreement to share civil nuclear technology with Libya following the release of the five Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor earlier this week.

The agreement, involving the construction of a nuclear-powered plant to purify sea water for drinking purposes, was signed in Tripoli on Wednesday (25 July), one day after the medics were released in a joint diplomatic effort between Paris and the European Commission.

Sarkozy indicated that the agreement still needed to be finalised “in the coming months or years” so that French group Areva could start construction of the facility.

The move marks the beginning of the “normalisation” of relations between Europe and Libya announced by Commission President José Manuel Barroso after the release of the medics on Tuesday (24 July) and formally put down in a detailed memorandum signed by Libya and the EU.

The French president added that a second project involved exploration for uranium reserves, in co-operation with Libya. “We found some in Niger. The geological context is the same. Areva needs uranium,” Sarkozy was quoted as saying by Le Monde newspaper.

Libya is also home to the largest oil reserves in Africa, ahead of Nigeria, and has large amounts of natural gas, but exports have so far been thwarted due to the country’s international pariah status. It now hopes to double its oil production by 2012, with European countries among its main clients.

Other agreements signed during Sarkozy’s visit included military, science and education as well as cultural agreements. The French president also took the opportunity to defend his idea of a Mediterranean Union, which, he said, raised “great interest” from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Other countries, including the UK and the US, are also lining up to visit Libya in the near future.

Read more with Euractiv

Mixed feelings over Bulgarian nurses deal

The relief over the release of the six medics on the morning of 24 July 2007, after eight years spent in prison, was mixed with unease over the transfer of vast amounts of money and other commitments the EU may have made in order to buy the benevolence of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.