*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) L'Aquila, Italy - July 10, 2009: The talks, behind closed doors, are believed to be the first time Mr Brown has met Muammar Gaddafi, who was an international pariah for many years after the Lockerbie bombing, for which Libya was blamed. 
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown holds a bilateral meeting with Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi on the morning of the third day of the G8 summit on July 10, 2009 in L'Aquila, Italy. The talks are being held close to the site of a devastating earthquake in April of this year. The leaders are expected to discuss climate change, global security and the global recession.
A Downing Street spokesman told Sky News the meeting lasted 40 minutes and was "good and businesslike".
The pair began by discussing the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and went on to talk about the economy, Africa's representation on the world stage and the Lockerbie bombing.
"Gordon Brown expressed admiration for the brave decision Col Gaddafi had taken on Libya's nuclear programmes," the spokesman said.
He added it was "important that we find ways for other countries to follow Libya's example".
The African country eliminated all of its nuclear materials, equipment and programmes in 2003-2004 with US and British supervision.
Sky's Alex Rossi, in L'Aquila, said: "Although nothing is likely to come out of this particular meeting, it is a very significant step. 
U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi before a dinner at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy, July 9, 2009. Leaders of the Group of Eight major industrial nations and the main developing economies are meeting in the central Italian city of L'Aquila until Friday to discuss issues ranging from global economic stimulus to climate change and oil prices.
"The overall message now is that Libya has not only been brought in from the cold, but it also shows how far Libya has travelled from international pariah to what the Government is now calling a strategic partner."
In 2004, Mr Brown's predecessor Tony Blair flew to Libya for talks in Mr Gaddafi's tent, after the Libyan leader had given up his country's weapons of mass destruction and accepted responsibility for Lockerbie.
Britain severed relations with Libya for two decades after shots fired from the Libyan embassy in London killed WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was policing a demonstration.
On Thursday, Col Gaddafi also shook hands with US President Barack Obama at the summit, breaking a long history of hostility between the two countries.
Mr Obama was the first US president the Libyan leader has met after relations broke down between Libya and America over the African nation's support for terrorist groups.
America designated Libya a "state sponsor of terrorism" in 1979 and President Ronald Reagan ordered Libyan assets in the US to be frozen in January 1986.
Relations sank further when Libya was blamed by the US for the deadly bombing of a Berlin disco frequented by American military personnel. 
Libyan Leader Moamer Kadhafi arrives for a meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) and participating African countries at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, in central Italy, on July 10, 2009. Kadhafi held talks early today with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who told him that richer nations should not renege on their commitments just because times were getting tougher, according to a Downing Street spokesman. G8 leaders, including an Africa-bound Barack Obama, vowed today to stand by the world's poor despite the downturn, unveiling a 15 billion dollar boost for food production.
In retaliation, US aircraft bombed Tripoli, Benghazi and Mr Gaddafi's home in April 1986, killing his adopted infant daughter.
Two years later, Libya was blamed for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland that killed 270 people.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown holds a bilateral meeting with Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi on the morning of the third day of the G8 summit on July 10, 2009 in L'Aquila, Italy. The talks are being held close to the site of a devastating earthquake in April of this year. The leaders are expected to discuss climate change, global security and the global recession.
A Downing Street spokesman told Sky News the meeting lasted 40 minutes and was "good and businesslike".
The pair began by discussing the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and went on to talk about the economy, Africa's representation on the world stage and the Lockerbie bombing.
"Gordon Brown expressed admiration for the brave decision Col Gaddafi had taken on Libya's nuclear programmes," the spokesman said.
He added it was "important that we find ways for other countries to follow Libya's example".
The African country eliminated all of its nuclear materials, equipment and programmes in 2003-2004 with US and British supervision.
Sky's Alex Rossi, in L'Aquila, said: "Although nothing is likely to come out of this particular meeting, it is a very significant step. U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi before a dinner at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy, July 9, 2009. Leaders of the Group of Eight major industrial nations and the main developing economies are meeting in the central Italian city of L'Aquila until Friday to discuss issues ranging from global economic stimulus to climate change and oil prices.
"The overall message now is that Libya has not only been brought in from the cold, but it also shows how far Libya has travelled from international pariah to what the Government is now calling a strategic partner."
In 2004, Mr Brown's predecessor Tony Blair flew to Libya for talks in Mr Gaddafi's tent, after the Libyan leader had given up his country's weapons of mass destruction and accepted responsibility for Lockerbie.
Britain severed relations with Libya for two decades after shots fired from the Libyan embassy in London killed WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was policing a demonstration.
On Thursday, Col Gaddafi also shook hands with US President Barack Obama at the summit, breaking a long history of hostility between the two countries.
Mr Obama was the first US president the Libyan leader has met after relations broke down between Libya and America over the African nation's support for terrorist groups.
America designated Libya a "state sponsor of terrorism" in 1979 and President Ronald Reagan ordered Libyan assets in the US to be frozen in January 1986.
Relations sank further when Libya was blamed by the US for the deadly bombing of a Berlin disco frequented by American military personnel. Libyan Leader Moamer Kadhafi arrives for a meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) and participating African countries at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, in central Italy, on July 10, 2009. Kadhafi held talks early today with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who told him that richer nations should not renege on their commitments just because times were getting tougher, according to a Downing Street spokesman. G8 leaders, including an Africa-bound Barack Obama, vowed today to stand by the world's poor despite the downturn, unveiling a 15 billion dollar boost for food production.
In retaliation, US aircraft bombed Tripoli, Benghazi and Mr Gaddafi's home in April 1986, killing his adopted infant daughter.
Two years later, Libya was blamed for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland that killed 270 people.
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