12:07am UK, Thursday March 25, 2004

Tony Blair is preparing to fly to Tripoli for historic talks with Libyan leader Colonel Gadaffi.

The Prime Minister said he wanted to offer his hand in partnership as a reward for renouncing terrorism.

Gaddafi admitted Libyan involvment in Lockerbie

But, speaking in Lisbon following talks with the Portuguese primeminister, he said he would not forget the "pain of the past".

"If countries are prepared to come back into compliance with the rules of the international community, then I am prepared to extend the hand of friendship to them and help them to do that," Mr Blair said.

The Government has been forced to defend the move in Parliament, where Tory leader Michael Howard went on the offensive.

Mr Howard attacked the timing of the trip and said it would cause "distress" to the Lockerbie families.

"It is quite odd timing to go from a service (Madrid bombings) which commemorates the victims of the biggest terrorist attack on Europe since Lockerbie, to go straight from there to Libya," Mr Howard said.

But the Conservative leader's comments have been condemned by Jim Swire, from the UK Families Flight 103 campaign group, who said he should have consulted them before speaking out.

Mr Swire said the visit would "greatly diminish the chances of a backsliding of support for terrorism, so we are greatly in favour of such a move".

Libya has been a pariah state since the attack on the PanAm jet over Lockerbie, which killed more than 200 people, and the shooting of PC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in the 1980s.

But relations have thawed since Tripoli accepted responsibility for the crimes and agreed to pay compensation.

They have also allowed weapons experts into the country and agreed to abandon their chemical and nuclear weapons programmes.

The visit comes as Royal Dutch/Shell announced it was set to sign an outline deal for gas exploration rights off Libya.

British aviation firm BAE also appears set to clinch a deal for a civil aviation facility in the former rogue state.

The mother of PC Fletcher said she was philosophical about the trip.

"I really don't know exactly how I feel about it yet," she said.

"Maybe if something good comes out of it then it'll be worth it. But we'll just have to wait and see."