Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi arrived in Brussels Tuesday on a historic visit to the headquarters of the European Union (EU).

European Commission (EC) President Romano Prodi and Gaddafi were seen share a limo that drove them to the front of the EU headquarters building, where security staff lined up to ensure Gaddafi's safety.

Outside the EC headquarters building, several hundred Africans sang and danced, shouting "Gaddafi! Gaddafi!"

After holding talks with Prodi, Gaddafi is to meet all European commissioners in the headquarters, and Prodi will host a luncheon in honor of him.

EC spokesman Reijo Kemppinen said Monday that the talks between Prodi and Gaddafi will focus on the Barcelona Process, and the EC expects Gaddafi to confirm Libya's intention to join the EU's partnership with Mediterranean countries.

The leaders will also discuss peace and stability in Africa andthe Mediterranean region, as well as economic reform of Libya, Kemppinen said.

"His visit to the Commission marks Colonel Gaddafi's first visit to Europe for many years, preparing the ground for a full normalization of relations between Libya and the European Union," the EC said in a statement on Friday.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Gaddafi will meet EU foreign and security chief Javier Solana. The Libya leader is also expected tohold talks with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt Tuesday evening and address the Belgian parliament Wednesday.

Gaddafi's European tour is the culmination of months of contacts and political maneuvering bringing the country in from its long period of isolation, imposed after its involvement in thebombing of a Pan AM jet over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.

In autumn last year, Gaddafi declared to renounce Libya's weapons of mass destruction program. In February this year at an African Union summit, Gaddafi met Prodi and indicated that Libya had made up its mind to join the Barcelona Process.

Later in March, British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid a landmark visit to Libya and held talks with Gaddafi. Last week, French President Jacques Chirac in principle accepted an invitation to visit Libya at an early date.

Political analysts believe that Gaddafi's visit signals a thaw of the more than decade-long Libyan-European strained relations and will enable Libya to pick up pace to return to the international community.

Major events in Libya-EU relations over the past 20 years

April 1984 -- Britain suspected Libya were involved in shooting a British policewoman to death outside the Libyan embassy in London and accused Libya of supporting the Irish Republican Army for terrorism and splittism. Britain severed its diplomatic relations with Libya.

Dec. 21, 1988 -- A Pan Am airliner crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. Britain and the United States believed Libyan intelligence officials were responsible for the crash after investigations.

March 1992 -- The United Nations Security Council decided to impose air, military and diplomatic sanctions against Libya under a resolution jointly drafted by Britain, the United States and France.

July 1996 -- A German company signed a 130-million-dollar contract with Libya to help build five power stations and factories for desalination of sea water.

November 1999 -- The British government announced comprehensive resumption of diplomatic relations with Libya after Tripoli handed over two alleged Lockerbie bombing suspects to the Hague for trial.

August 2003 -- The Libyan government officially accepted to take full responsibility for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing by agreeing to pay 2.7 billion US dollars to the families of victims and asked the United Nations to lift the 11-year-old sanctions against the country.

January 2004 -- EC President Romano Prodi said in a telephone conversation to Gaddafi that Libya should develop a closer relationship with the EU and he invited Libya to join the Barcelona Process, a program between the EU and Mediterranean countries.

January 2004 -- Libya signed a compensation deal with France and agreed to pay 170 million dollars to the families of the victims of the 1989 bombing of a French airliner over Niger, which killed 170 people, including 54 French nationals.

Feb. 9, 2004 -- Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalqam visited Britain, the first Libyan foreign minister to travel to London after Gaddafi took office in 1969.

Feb. 10, 2004 -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi met with Gaddafi in the Libyan seaside city of Sirte, becoming the first Western leader to visit Libya since the country vowed to abandon its programs of weapons of mass destruction in December 2003.

March 25, 2004 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Libya, the first trip to the North African country by a British prime minister since World War Two.

April 19, 2004 -- French President Jacques Chirac accepted an invitation in principle to visit Libya soon, Chirac's office said.