0
0
EMBATTLED Libyan leader, Colonel Mummar Ghaddafi yesterday sent a Special Envoy to Abuja to lobby President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the African Union Summit holding in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, next week.
Also yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan welcomed the United Kingdom’s pledge to support Nigeria’s security reform and economic development. He also expressed delight at Britain’s reinvigoration of bilateral relations with Nigeria.
The President received Libyan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdullahi Oubaidi who brought a special message from Col. Gaddafi.
Jonathan told the visiting Libyan Minister that the African Union would discuss the country’s situation at the forthcoming AU Summit in Malabo.
While receiving the Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, British Secretary of State for International Development, at the State House in Abuja, the president said that Mitchell’s visit, the first by a cabinet minister from the UK in nearly five years, was a welcome sign that relations between the two countries were going to be reinvigorated.
“Nigeria is pleased at the commitment to improve relations, especially economic and trade relationsâ€Â, the President stated, recalling Nigeria’s historic relationship with Britain, as well as its key role in Africa.
He reassured Mr. Mitchell of the administration’s total commitment to improving the economy, in order to raise the living standards of citizens. President Jonathan therefore canvassed access to European markets, which he posited would make a great difference.
Speaking earlier, the British Secretary of State for International Development, Rt. Hon. Andrew Mitchell, had said the United Kingdom was ready to reinvigorate relations with Nigeria through stronger economic cooperation, and support for better basic services and security sector reform.
He said his visit was the first to Nigeria by a Cabinet Minister in almost five years, indicating a desire to restore and reinvigorate the relations between the two countries.
Facebook Comments