London, Dec 22 (IANS): The new Libyan government will open all files relating to the Lockerbie bombing in which 270 people were killed, the country's ambassador to Britain has said.

Mahmud Nacua told BBC it would, however, be at least another year before Libya was in a position to release whatever information it holds.

The move comes on the 24th anniversary of the bombing of the Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland, which killed 270 people. Bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died this year after being released in 2009. He was suffering from terminal prostate cancer.

Megrahi, a Libyan agent, was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds.

He remains the only person ever convicted of the bombing, but Scottish police hope to pursue other suspects in Libya following the downfall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime.

Scotland's top prosecutor recently wrote to the new Libyan prime minister for help, and the Briish government has said it was pressing Tripoli "for swift progress and co-operation" on the Lockerbie case.

Nacua told BBC no formal agreement has yet been reached, but that Libya would open the files it holds on the case.

He said that would only come when his government had fully established security and stability - a process he believes will take at least a year.