US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said on yesterday that Tripoli could become an important security partner of Washington as he visited Libya for talks with new regime officials.

This new and free Libya can become an important security partner of the US- Panetta

“We are and will be your friend and partner,” Panetta said at a news conference with Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Rahim al-Kib.

“This new and free Libya can become an important security partner of the US,” he said, adding that Washington was looking forward to building a close partnership.

“We stand ready to offer whatever assistance in the spirit of friendship and a spirit of mutual respect.”

But Panetta, who also met Defence Minister Osama Jouili, stressed that his talks in Tripoli did not involve military equipment.

“At this stage there was certainly no discussions involving arms or military equipment,” he said when asked about the type of security cooperation he envisioned.

Earlier he had told the travelling press, including an AFP correspondent, that his brief visit was to confer with Libya’s new rulers on their government’s security needs.

“The purpose of my trip to Libya is to have an opportunity to look at that situation up close but to also pay tribute to the Libyan people for what they did in bringing (former leader Muammar) Gaddafi down and trying to establish a government for the future,” Panetta said.

He acknowledged that Libya’s rulers would face huge challenges, but said he was confident they would “succeed in putting a democracy together in Libya”.

“I’m confident they’re taking the right steps to reach out to all these groups and bring them together so that they will be part of one Libya and that they will be part of one defence system,” he said.

Panetta said he expected the Libyans “to determine the future of Libya” and ­“determine what assistance they require from the US and the international community.”

Libya’s rulers face a major challenge in trying to disarm militiamen who fought to topple Gaddafi and to secure thousands of surface-to-air missiles stockpiled under his regime.

Pressure to disarm the former rebels has mounted after local media reported several skirmishes between militia factions in Tripoli, with some resulting in casualties.

There are concerns that man-portable air defence systems could be used by militants against commercial airliners and helicopters.