Libya and Russia signed a civil nuclear co-operation deal Saturday, Tripoli's foreign minister said, as Moamer Kadhafi visited Moscow in a trip also expected to focus on oil and gas and arms purchases. "A co-operation agreement was signed in the area of the peaceful use of civilian nuclear, particularly in the design and construction of reactors and the supply of nuclear fuel," said Abdelrahman Chalgham, who accompanied Kadhafi.
The deal also extended to nuclear use in medicine and nuclear waste treatment, he said. Russian officials, however, did not confirm the accord. The Kremlin made no comment, and Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no such agreement had been signed during a meeting between Kadhafi and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The deal was signed by the head of Russia's atomic energy agency, Rosatom, and Libya's head of nuclear energy management, according to sources in the Libyan delegation. According to Chalgham, the two countries also signed agreements related to calls for the creation of an Opec-style body for gas-producing countries and on the opening of a direct air connection between Moscow and Tripoli. Kadhafi had earlier spoke of co-operating on energy issues.
"Co-operation in the gas and oil sphere is extremely important now. We have common approaches to gas and oil policies," the leader of energy-rich Libya told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking through a Russian translator. "We will discuss economic issues and co-ordination in the foreign-policy sphere, matters which are very important at the moment," Medvedev said.
Kadhafi arrived at the Kremlin dressed in a tan coat draped over his trademark robes and accompanied by a stern-looking female bodyguard in green uniform and red beret. He began his first visit to Moscow since Cold War days in 1985 on Friday. Vedomosti newspaper had reported Saturday that Kadhafi may sign a pact on Russian-Libyan nuclear energy co-operation. The newspaper cited a source involved in preparations for his visit.