The reformist son of Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy has called for closer business ties with Britain, saying it is time to move on from the argument about the decision to free the Lockerbie bomber.
Scotland freed former Libyan agent Abdel Basset al-Megrahi last week on compassionate grounds because he is dying of cancer. Megrahi was the only person convicted of bombing Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988, killing 270 people.
"Lockerbie is history. The next step is fruitful and productive business with Edinburgh and London. Libya is a promising, rich market and so let's talk about the future," Mr Gadafy's son Saif al-Islam told Scottish daily the Herald.
Pictures of more than 1,000 people cheering and waving Libyan and Scottish flags when Megrahi returned to Tripoli have been beamed around the world and fuelled anger over the release.
Islam, who accompanied Megrahi on the flight home, said the homecoming was not as elaborate as it might have been.
"There was no official celebration, no guards of honour, no fireworks and no parade. We could have arranged a much better reception," he said in an interview published on the Herald's website.
The decision to free Megrahi dismayed the US government and relatives of the 189 Americans killed in the bombing.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined the condemnation of the reception given to Megrahi in Tripoli but made no comments on the decision itself, saying it was a matter for the devolved Scottish government.
Britain has denied wanting Megrahi to be freed to ease diplomatic and commercial ties with Libya, which has the biggest oil reserves in Africa.
Reuters