Report: Libya Offers Home for Russian Base
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: 31 Oct 09:08 EDT (13:08 GMT)
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MOSCOW - Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, who visits Moscow on Oct. 31 for the
first time since 1985, will offer to host a Russian naval base in his north
African country, a Russian newspaper reported.

"Libya is ready to host a Russian naval military base," the Kommersant
reported, citing a source close to the preparations for Qadhafi's first
visit here since the days of the Soviet Union.

The base could be located at the port of Benghazi, the source said.

"The Russian military presence will be a guarantee of non-aggression against
Libya from the United States, which is not in a hurry to embrace Qadhafi
despite gestures of reconciliation," the newspaper said.

Qadhafi's offer could also "ease the Kremlin's dissatisfaction" over his
failure to fulfill agreements reached in April during a landmark visit to
Tripoli by then-President Vladimir Putin, Kommersant said.

During the visit, Moscow agreed to cancel billions of dollars of Libyan
Soviet-era debt in exchange for major contracts with Russian companies.

Those agreements included a promise by Tripoli to buy Russian arms, but
"despite the agreement, Qadhafi still has not bought a single tank or
airplane," Kommersant reported.

Russia was also disappointed that energy-rich Libya did not agree to join a
"gas OPEC" along with fellow gas exporter Qatar, Kommersant said.
Qadhafi is scheduled to visit Russia through Nov. 2.

Relations between Russia and Libya, a former pariah state that has pushed to
get back into the international fold in recent years, showed signs of
significant warming this year after a long chill.

Earlier this month, a Russian warship docked in Tripoli as part of a global
show of force that is set to include joint naval exercises between Russia
and Venezuela in the Caribbean in November.

In April, Russian gas giant Gazprom signed a cooperation agreement with
Libya's national energy company while Russia's rail monopoly signed a
2.2-billion-euro contract to build a railway line in Libya. Libya bought
many of its weapons from Moscow during the Cold War.