Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, March 2008, page 64

Waging Peace

Libyan Ambassador Gives Keynote Address

Libyan Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali gave a keynote address entitled “The Turning of a New Chapter in U.S.-Libyan Relations” at a National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations luncheon on Oct. 25 at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC.

“When I came to this country in April 2004,” Ambassador Aujali recalled, “American-Libyan relations were a big challenge. Our relationship hadn’t been good for about 25 years.”

After Libya gave up weapons of mass destruction programs, and resolved some problems concerning Lockerbie, Washington and Tripoli decided to “turn the page of our relationship,” he explained. Much has been achieved in three years, the ambassador noted. After the sanctions were removed in 2006, Libyans can now move freely in the United States and begin working with the government, Capitol Hill and the business community.

Libya is a small country with a population of 5.5 million, and with a very long coastal area—about 2,000 kilometers. About 95 percent of Libya is desert, Aujali, said—but it is good desert, with oil, gas and water.

American oil companies were the first to return to Libya following the normalization of relations, and “they were able to grab 11 out of 15 international tenders in 2005,” Ambassador Aujali said. “And I am proud to say that most of the oil companies which were in Libya before are now back in business.

“But our relations with the United States should not be only about oil and gas,” he continued. “Trade relations are important, and we hope that  some other companies in the fields of communication, education, and health care will go to see Libya.”

Libya is not the easiest place to live, Ambassador Aujali cautioned, because it has been under sanctions for quite some time and they have hurt its economy, education, and infrastructure. “But I’m asking American companies in different fields to try to invest in Libya,” he added.

In the 1980s, he noted, there were 4,000 Libyan students studying in the U.S. “In 2004 when I came here, there was no Libyan student. Ten Libyan students arrived last year, and now we have about 160. Well, this is not bad,” Ambassador Aujali said. These students faced problems getting visas and were frightened to come to United States, he said. But now this first group is encouraging their friends in Libya to come.

“This country, it’s a great country. The Americans, they are great people, and I think that it is important to open your country to the world,” Ambassador Aujali said. “This is the country of opportunity, the country of chances....We have to work together for the sake of peace and security,” he concluded.

—Delinda C. Hanley