Compensation deal for Lockerbie relatives in sight as talks progress

SPECULATION was growing last night that agreement has been reached over compensation for relatives of those killed in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

Talks aimed at getting Libya to accept responsibility for the bombing and agree compensation for the 270 victims were said to have made “further progress” yesterday.

It follows talks in London between Britain, the United States and Libya aimed at ending UN sanctions imposed on Libya following the atrocity.

A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said delegations from each of the countries would brief their governments on progress made.

Discussions had centred on outstanding UN Security Council resolutions which call on Libya to accept responsibility for the atrocity and agree compensation for the victims.

The spokeswoman said: “There was a formal tripartite meeting to discuss the Lockerbie issue, which is the latest in a number held over the last year-and-a-half. We felt the session was useful and we have made further progress. The delegations will now be reporting to their capitals to consult over the next steps.”