UK's Hague in Libya to strengthen bilateral ties

British Foreign Secretary William Hague met Libyan officials on Monday to discuss bilateral cooperation and the progress of a probe into the 1984 murder of a British policewoman. "I believe there is a very strong prospect for relations between the United Kingdom and Libya," Hague told reporters in Tripoli in what marked his fourth visit to the North African nation. Hague, who met interim Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib and senior officials of the National Transitional Council, hailed the country's "inspiring commitment to freedom" and "well-conducted" elections earlier this month. Britain was one of the leading countries in the NATO-backed military campaign that helped topple Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed last October. The flash one-day visit comes after Libyans voted on July 7 for a national congress, which will be the country's first elected authority after 42-years of iron-fisted rule under Gadhafi. Britain, Hague said, hopes there "will be complete success in the integration of militias," which are made up of former rebels, and in putting an end to human rights abuses in detention centers. He told reporters that he would also be meeting the heads of four leading parties, including the liberal National Forces Alliance which is led by Libya's wartime premier Mahmud Jibril. Talks, he said, tackled ongoing investigations into the 1984 murder of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher, who was shot dead outside the Libyan embassy while policing peaceful demonstrations. "I can see very clearly that this is being pursued with energy in both the UK and Libya," he said. "To all of us, it is important that the killers of WPC Yvonne Fletcher are brought to justice." Hague was traveling to Jordan next, embassy officials said.