Libya's rebel-led National Transitional Council (NTC), poised to take over power from the teetering regime of Moammar Qadhafi, said Wednesday it intends to honor all contracts with international companies signed during the Qadhafi era.
Guma Al-Gamaty, the UK coordinator of the NTC, also told BBC radio in London that it would be up to a new Libyan government to determine the new relationship of Libya with the international community.
Asked whether the NTC would change any of the Qadhafi-era contracts, Gamaty said resolutely: "They will be honored."
Gamaty also said Libya's relationship with the UK and Italy was especially strong given these countries' support for the uprising.
"Many, many countries have been very resolute, strong, in coming out and siding with the Libyan people from day one," he said.
"We are grateful to Britain for coming out with strong resolve condemning Qadhafi and playing an instrumental role in supporting the Libyan people."
"There are other countries who have been very slow and only came around very late, countries like China, Russia. They dithered a lot," he said.
China said Tuesday it hoped its billions of dollars in trade with Libya and its "mutually beneficial" trade ties with the country would continue.
Gamaty said Libya's relationship with other countries should be based on "mutual respect and mutual interest."
"It will be up to a new democratic government of Libya to decide what kind of relationship," he said.
"However, we have historically extremely good relations with the UK, and with Italy we have the legacy of colonialism and Italy is close geographically," he said.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the rebel-controlled Arabian Gulf Oil Company said existing oil contracts with foreign companies should be revisited.
Abdeljalil Mayuf also said the NTC should take a "close look" at countries that had a negative position toward the uprising such as China and India.
While a number of governments, including the US, UK, French and Italian governments, have recognized the NTC as the legitimate interim governing authority in Libya, South Africa, China and India have withheld recognition.
Gamaty, meanwhile, also said the whole of the NTC would be in Tripoli by Saturday.
