Libya gets aid, other deals after freeing 6

France and Libya signed cooperation agreements Wednesday in areas such as defense, health, counterterrorism and civilian nuclear power as French President Nicolas Sarkozy met here with strongman Col. Moammar Kadafi after the release of six foreign medical workers.

The six had been held for more than eight years on charges that they deliberately infected more than 400 Libyan children with HIV. They were convicted and twice sentenced to death, even though evidence from experts exonerated them.

Libya commuted sentences for the six, five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor, to life in prison and allowed them to fly Tuesday to Bulgaria, where they were pardoned.

Under a deal sealed by their release, the European Union agreed to an aid package for Libya and the prospect of increased trade ties. The Europeans also said they would encourage contributions to a Libyan fund for families of the infected children.

In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped to travel to Libya soon.

“I know that American companies are very interested in working in Libya,” she said.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said his country might write off $54 million Libya owes it -- although he underscored that it was a humanitarian gesture that should not be seen as “paying ransom, or admitting guilt.”

One of the agreements signed Wednesday between France and Libya touched on defense cooperation. The leaders also pledged to work together on “peaceful applications for nuclear energy,” a joint statement said. The issue is sensitive, and French anti-nuclear group Sortir du Nucleaire accused Sarkozy of handing over nuclear technology in exchange for the nurses.

Libya on Wednesday summoned Bulgaria’s top diplomat to the Foreign Ministry to protest the pardon.