Spain sees deals worth billions following Kadhafi visit
MADRID (AFP) — Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi began Monday his first official visit to Spain, which Madrid said could lead to investments by Spanish firms in the north African country totaling over 17 billion dollars (11.8 billion euros).
"Following this visit, the Spanish government feels that enormous possibilities for investments by Spanish firms in Libya will open up," the government said in a statement after Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero held talks with Kadhafi in Madrid.
The government said it saw the possibility for investments totaling two billion euros in defence and aeronautics and over five billion dollars in the Libyan energy sector, where Spanish oil company Repsol already occupies a key position.
Spanish firms could also secure bids for 10 billion of the 50 billion dollars which Libya plans to spend to develop its infrastructure, the statement added.
After the meeting with Zapatero, an official dinner was held in Kadhafi's honour attended by the heads of several major Spanish firms including Repsol, energy group Gas Natural, electricity firm Union Fenosa and builders FCC and Sacyr Vallehermoso.
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Economy Minister Pedro Solbes were also present.
Sacyr Vallehermoso said Sunday it had created a joint enterprise with the Libyan government to bid for infrastructure contracts worth more than 50 billion euros in Libya, which has developed rapidly since UN sanctions for its support of terrorism were lifted in 2003.
Kadhafi made a five-day trip to France last week, his most high-profile foreign visit since he began to rebuild bridges with the United States and Europe four years ago, and signed deals potentially worth 10 billion euros for French firms.
But he faced a barrage of criticism in Paris over past links to terrorism and accusations of ignoring human rights.
In Spain however the controversy appeared to have dimmed, with only the left-wing newspaper Publico and a handful of lawmakers denouncing the "red-carpet" treatment offered the "Libyan dictator".
"Would it not be possible to invent some unavoidable commitment for the king so that he does not have to shake the hand of this torturer of nurses," the paper said, referring to the six Bulgarian medics who were freed in July from eight years in a Libyan jail accused of infecting children with the AIDS virus.
The Libyan leader was met by Spanish Defence Minister Jose Antonio Alonso and received full military honours on arrival at Madrid's Barajas airport on a flight from the southern city of Malaga.
The official part of his visit follows a two-day private trip to the southern region of Andalucia.
Libya and Spain signed a political cooperation accord, a deal on reciprocal investments, a defence agreement and another on economic and financial cooperation during the first day of Kadhafi's two-day visit.
In Madrid, he was staying in El Pardo Palace outside Madrid, the official residence of visiting heads of state, where he was greeted by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
The Libyan leader had a massive green tent set up for him in the gardens behind the building, which was the official residence of dictator General Francisco Franco until his death in 1975.
Kadhafi made a private visit to Spain in 1984, when he briefly met then prime minister Felipe Gonzalez.
