Chirac's Warning to Libya Led to Renewed Talks

It seems that the warning issued on Saturday by President Jacques Chirac of France to the Libyan government has led to the revival of discussions between the parties regarding compensation for the victims of the 1989 bombing incident. According to reports, talks between the families of the victims of the plane explosion and the Libyan government are likely to begin on Tuesday, although the location of these discussions has not yet been determined. Mr. Chirac expressed hope in his remarks on Sunday that positive results would come from the renewed dialogue. The previously set deadline for increasing compensation payments between the Libyan government and the survivors of the 170 victims of the UTA flight, which exploded over Nigeria in 1989, ended without any results last Saturday night. On Saturday, Mr. Chirac, during his visit to Morocco, warned the Libyan government that failure to adhere to the promises made would lead to a crisis in the relations between France and Libya. France had agreed to receive $33 million in compensation from the Libyan government, but after Libya, in a separate agreement in August, paid a larger sum to the survivors of Pan Am flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, France demanded additional compensation. Both bombing incidents are linked to Libya.