Tripoli, 26 July (AKI) - France and Libya have signed an accord to build a nuclear reactor for sea water desalinisation and clinched deals on military-industrial and research cooperation, as well as cultural, scientific and technical assistance. The two countries also signed a partnership agreement on health, illegal immigration, counter-terrorism.
The deals were sealed late on Wednesday by French president Nicolas Sarkozy and Libyan leader, Muammer Gaddafi. They came just a after Sarkozy's wife, Cecilia, and his top aide, Claude Gueant, helped negotiate an agreement between Libya and the EU to release the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor who had been sentenced to death for allegedly infecting more than 400 Libyan children with AIDS. The EU has stated that no money has been paid to Libya.
The French anti-nuclear group Sortir du Nucleaire slammed the civilian nuclear energy deal, describing it as "irresponsible" and "unjustifiable bartering". The group accused Sarkozy of working to build up a "nuclear trust" with French companies Areva, Alstom and Bouygues.
"The nuclear deal will allow these companies to boost their business in Libya, especially by building nuclear power stations," it said.
"Sea water desalinisation is merely a subterfuge to attempt to justify nuclear energy," the group added.
During his short visit to the north African country, Sarkozy also discussed with Gaddafi his proposed Mediterranean Union aimed mainly at strengthening economic and security cooperation between Mediterranean basin countries, the Libyan news agency Jana reported.
Sarkozy also voiced support for Gaddafi's pet project for a' United States of Africa' Jana said. The leaders also discussed the situation in the war-torn Sudanese province of Darfur and in neighbouring Chad, according to Jana.
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