Defence

By Aimée Turner in London

France is in the early stages of considering a proposal to sell Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters to Libya, subject to approval by French inter-ministerial commission CIEEMG, which advises on the authorisation of arms exports.

The French foreign affairs ministry's directorate of economic and financial affairs says: "There has been much talk about it both within the ministry and within Eurocopter, but nothing really has been done so far."

France and Libya signed a framework accord on defence co-operation in 2005 that paved the way for major arms deals for French contractors. The accord was signed during a visit by French defence minister Michèle Alliot-Marie to Libya. During Alliot-Marie's visit, sources said that Libyan officials had reported Libyan leader Col Mu'ammar Gadhafi's interest in procuring the Dassault Rafale multirole fighter and the Tiger.

France's relations with Libya had been strained after the bombing of a French UTA McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 over Niger in 1989, which killed 170 people. Libya has since agreed to pay compensation.