Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has met Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s leader, in what she described as ‘a new phase’ in relations between the two countries. Her visit marks a historic turnaround in relations between Washington and Tripoli, which have for decades viewed each other with suspicion. ‘The relationship has been moving in a good direction for a number of years now and I think tonight does mark a new phase,’ Rice said after meeting Gaddafi. ‘It is only a start, but I think, after many, many years, I think it’s a very good thing that the United States and Libya are establishing a way forward.’ Rice travelled to Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, on Saturday following the landmark meeting with Gaddafi. Military ties An AFP news agency correspondent said she arrived in Tunis on Saturday – her second stop on a North African tour that will also take her to Algeria and Morocco. The United States has key military ties with Tunisia and is also seeking to conclude a free trade accord with the Maghreb nation. Rice, the first US top diplomat to visit Tunis since Colin Powell in 2003, was […]