By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 28 April 2013:
Speaking at this evening’s press conference, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan insisted that the relationship between Libya . . .[restrict]and Egypt were much bigger than the current and passing issue of Ahmed Qaddaf Al-Dam.
Asked by the media regarding the latest on Libya’s efforts to return Qaddaf Al-Dam and was it looking less likely now that the matter was getting entangled in the Egyptian courts and would this affect relations with Egypt, Zeidan said no.
He was adamant that relations between the two neighbourly states would not be affected by a single, passing issue.
“Relations between Egypt and Libya are older than Qaddaf Al-Dam and older than Zeidan”, he insisted. He said the relations between the two states were built on many factors such as “Islam, neighbourliness, and Arabism. Qaddaf Al-Dam is a passing issue. We are in agreement with Egypt, if legality permits. Our relationship will not be affected by this issue”, he insisted.
Libya is trying to repatriate all those who are accused of either crimes or squandering of public funds to face trial in Libya, including Qaddafi’s cousin, Ahmed Qaddaf Al-Dam, who was in charge of Libya’s investments in Egypt under the previous regime estimated in the billions of US dollars. [/restrict]