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By Patrick Goodenough, International Editor
CNSN
At a time when the U.S. is moving towards full normalization of relations with Libya, Muammar Gaddafi’s son has made it clear that the North African nation is looking to Russia as its strategic partner. In a little-noticed interview with Russia’s Kommersant business daily, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi said Moscow’s resurgence, demonstrated by this month’s military incursion into Georgia, was a positive development for the Arab world. “What happened in Georgia is a good sign, which means America is no longer the sole world power setting the rules of the game,” Gaddafi said. “Now there is balance in the world. Russia is being reborn, and we value that. It is very good for us, for all of the Middle East,” he said. Gaddafi, who runs a charity called the Gaddafi Foundation, has frequently undertaken diplomatic missions on behalf of his father. The second oldest of seven sons, the 35-year-old is sometimes named as a possible successor to the unpredictable Libyan leader but has denied ambitions to rule the north African country – a position he reiterated in the Kommersant interview. The published interview appeared on the same day that the U.S. government announced a breakthrough agreement with Libya on compensation for terror victims, paving the way for the full normalization of bilateral ties.
David Welch, the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs who negotiated the claims settlement agreement, said it was “designed to resolve the last major historical issue that has stood in the way of developing a proper relationship with Libya.” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she hoped to visit to Tripoli soon. The U.S. and Libya have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1980, and it will be the first visit by a secretary of state since 1953. Asked whether his strong statements were not risking Libya’s newly-improved ties with the U.S., Gaddafi told the Russian paper that although his country has good relations with both the West and Russia, “Libya chose Russia as its strategic partner.” “Of course, Russia is our strategic partner, and we cannot compare it with any other country for closeness. That’s obvious.” Gaddafi said Libya backed Moscow’s position that Georgia had initiated the recent conflict – by mounting an offensive against separatists in a Russian-backed breakaway province – and forced a Russian military response. Libya would back Russia in the U.N. Security Council, he said.
Libya, which has been improving relations with the West since pledging to stop supporting terrorism and shutting down its non-conventional weapons programs, in January began a two-year stint on the council. Its conduct there has at times drawn strong criticism. A key reason cited for some European countries’ reluctance to antagonize Russia – for instance, by supporting the further eastward expansion of NATO – is the E.U.’s reliance on Russian energy supplies, and Russia’s willingness to use its oil and gas for political leverage. Instability in Georgia, a critical transit route for Central Asian energy supplies bypassing Russia, has added to the concerns. Italy and other European nations look increasingly to Libya – with Africa’s largest oil reserves and fourth-largest natural gas reserves – to help ease its dependence on Russian supplies.
But Tripoli’s deepening alliance with Moscow raises doubts about whether Libya will be the answer to attempts to break the Russian stranglehold, particularly as Russian energy monopoly Gazprom recently signed agreements to invest in Libya’s operations. Asked in the interview whether he thought Russia faced a threat of economic isolation over its actions in Georgia, Gaddafi said he doubted it. “The whole world needs Russian gas, Russian oil. It is not expedient for Europe to let relations with Russia worsen. And then we, the Libyans, will do everything possible to work in Russia and invest in its economy. Because Russia is a great country.” Tightening relations with Libya appears to be a Kremlin priority. During a visit to Libya in April, then President Vladimir Putin agreed to write off billions of dollars worth of Soviet-era debt, in exchange for lucrative contracts with Russian companies. When Libya’s prime minister Baghdadi Mahmudi visited Moscow late last month, Putin – now prime minister under his handpicked successor, President Dmitry Medvedev – discussed cooperation in the oil and gas sectors and said Tripoli was also keen to buy Russian weaponry. The Interfax news agency quoted a defense ministry source in Moscow as saying Libya was interested in fighter planes, helicopters and surface-to-air missiles.
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