In a surprise announcement, the White House said it would let US oil companies....
In a suprise announcement, the White House said it would let US oil companies reopen negotiations with the Libyan government over potentially lucrative oil leases that have been off-limits since sanctions were imposed in 1986.
The concession was among measures announced by the White House yesterday to reward Libya for deciding to renounce mass destruction weapons and compensate the victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
The new policy will not immediately permit the companies to renew full-scale operations in the country. Instead they will now be allowed to "negotiate the terms of their re-entry into operations in Libya", the White House said.
In addition to oil, all restrictions on Americans travelling to Libya have been lifted, allowing visits for the first time in 23 years.
An invitation for Tripoli to re-establish partial diplomatic relations by sending permanent representatives to Washington, has also been extended.
