7:02pm UK, Thursday September 01, 2011
David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy are hosting a high-level summit in Paris to welcome Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) into the diplomatic fold.
The meeting, which started at 5pm BST, has two goals: firstly, to secure diplomatic and financial support for Libya.
Secondly, it will allow Libya's transitional leaders to map out their plans for reconstruction and elections in eight months' time.
Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News: "One of the things this conference is showing is, the world is moving on and coming together in a new way to support the future of Libya.
Anti-Gaddafi forces are pushing towards his hometown of Sirte
"The other thing it provides is an opportunity for the National Transitional Council to set out their plans for the stabilisation of Libya, and then what they do politically to create a democratic and inclusive Libya."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Libya's interim leaders at the meeting to seek reconciliation not retribution after their victory.
Clinton said NATO's military campaign should continue as long as civilians are under threat.
She told the conference: "Winning a war offers no guarantee of winning the peace that follows. What happens in the coming days will be critical."
Clinton also urged Libya's rebels to secure weapons amassed by Gaddafi and ensure they weren't used to threaten the country's neighbours or the rest of the world.
Crates of bank notes being guarded at an airport in Benghazi
Earlier, Mr Cameron conceded there were still "huge challenges" in Libya making sure law and order prevails.
But he insisted the "cynics and the armchair generals have been proved wrong" as hospitals and security services began to get back up and running.
Mr Cameron told US broadcaster CNN: "I'm an optimist about Libya. I've been an optimist all the way through and I'm optimistic about the National Transitional Council and what they are able to achieve."
The Paris summit falls on the 42nd anniversary of Colonel Gaddafi's rise to power, and as his grip on it slowly loosens.
The political and economic challenges in war-ravaged Libya will be high on the agenda, as the bills and salaries of essential staff and government workers have to be paid.
Mr Sarkozy and Mr Cameron are jointly hosting the conference
The NTC has said it needs over £5bn injected into the economy after international sanctions in the Spring left it desperately short of cash.The United Nations sanctions committee has allowed the UK to release £1bn of freshly printed Dinar banknotes, which arrived in Benghazi on Wednesday night.
France has been allowed to release over £1bn of frozen assets - a fifth of the total believed to be in the country's banking system.
It is estimated the regime may have squirrelled away some £35bn in foreign accounts.
The Russian Federation recognises the National Transitional Council as the current authorities.The Russian Foreign Ministry.
Mr Sarkozy and Mr Cameron pushed hard for Nato intervention in Libya despite reservations from several nations.
Mr Sarkozy said: "In David Cameron I see an ally, a friend and a brave partner.
"For the first time, Europe has displayed that it was able to act together in a conflict taking place on its doorstep."
The US will be represented at the summit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Several countries that have openly criticised the Nato mission will also be there including Russia and China.
However, ahead of the summit's start, Moscow announced it would observe the legitimate ruling authority of the NTC.
"The Russian Federation recognises the National Transitional Council as the current authorities," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Despite this, one-third of the governments invited to Paris are yet to recognise the council as Col Gaddafi's heir apparent.
South African president Jacob Zuma even hit out at Western nations for their intervention in Libya.
Mr Zuma, who has not sent a representative to the Paris conference, said Nato's operation undermined the African Union's efforts to broker peace talks.
Delegates are expected to hold a press conference at 7pm following the afternoon meeting.
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