Rice meets Libya's top diplomat

The talks between Mr Shalgam and Ms Rice lasted for about an hour

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Libyan Foreign Minister Abdulrahman Shalgam - the first such formal meeting in 36 years.

During the talks in Washington Ms Rice urged Libya to respect and promote human rights, her spokesman said.

Ms Rice also said Tripoli should resolve outstanding claims by families of terror victims against Libya.

US-Libyan ties have warmed since 2003, when Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi formally renounced terrorism.

That year the government in Tripoli also accepted responsibility for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people died.

Col Gaddafi also agreed to dismantle the country's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes.

In 2006, the US announced a full normalisation of ties after taking Libya off its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Rice's visit hint

The talks between Ms Rice and Mr Shalgam lasted for about an hour, Ms Rice's spokesman Sean McCormack said.

"Secretary Rice urged Libya to move forward in resolving outstanding claims by families of terror victims against the Libyan government and raised human rights as an important agenda item for our bilateral relationship," a US statement issued after the talks said.

Libya is yet to complete compensation payments to families of the victims of the Pan Am attack and the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco frequented by US servicemen - for which Tripoli has also admitted responsibility.

Mr McCormack also said that Ms Rice "reiterated her intent to visit Libya at the appropriate time".