A Swiss businessman, arrested in Libya days after a long-running diplomatic row broke out between the two states in 2008, was finally allowed to leave as Libya and Switzerland resumed ties, Euronews said on Sunday.
On Sunday Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Reym arrived in the Libyan capital Tripoli to meet with her Libyan counterpart Moussa Koussa and sign a memorandum on mutual understanding intended to improve relations.
Switzerland's row with Libya goes back to July 2008, when Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his wife Aline who was 9 months pregnant were arrested in Geneva. They were released on bail after spending two days in custody following a hotel employee complaint of mistreatment by the couple.
Soon after the incident two Swiss businessmen, Max Goeldi and Rachid Hamdani were arrested in Tripoli on charges of tax evasion, violation of visa rules and illegal business activities.
Some time later they were transferred to the Swiss embassy, but were not allowed to leave while legal procedures against them continued.
Hamdani was cleared of all charges and allowed to leave in February 2010. Goeldi, head of Libya operations for Swiss engineering firm ABB, was sentenced in February to four months in prison for violating Libyan immigration rules.
His sentence ended this Saturday, and he was allowed to leave.
Strained relations between the two countries deteriorated further as Switzerland banned the construction of minarets in last November following a referendum. A total of 57.5% eligible voters and 22 out of 26 Swiss cantons voted to prohibit minaret construction in a bid to stop the "Islamization of Switzerland." The country's decision sparked criticism from politicians and religious figures worldwide.
In February, Libya denied entry for Schengen-zone passport holders (nearly all EU member states) after Switzerland put nearly 200 senior Libyan officials on a travel blacklist, including Muammar Gaddafi and his family, denying them entry permits.
In March, Libya imposed an economic embargo on Switzerland as tensions between the two countries continued to escalate.
MOSCOW, June 14 (RIA Novosti)
