TUNISIA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Foreign Ministry on Wednesday accepted an apology from the U.S. State Department over its spokesman's comments on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The ministry said in a statement carried by the Libyan News Agency that it "accepts the apology and regret shown by the U.S. State Department as well as the explanation given by its spokesman Philip Crowley. "

The statement said that it "welcomes resuming the exchange of visits between officials of the two countries and insists on its willingness to develop bilateral relations in all fields and within a framework of mutual respect."

Libya officially protested last week about statements made by Crowley over Gaddafi's speech calling for a "jihad" against Switzerland last month.

Crowley apologized on Tuesday, saying that his comments "were not intended to offend" and "do not reflect U.S. policy."