About 60 countries attended the "Friends of Libya" forum in Paris, at the Elysee Palace on Thursday afternoon, along with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. At the forum Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) reported on the situation on the ground in terms of security, reconstruction and the economy

Most of the global political powers have recognized National Transitional Council (NTC) as a Libyan alternative. The earlier statement issued by the NTC chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil called on his people to establish a society marked by tolerance, forgiveness and respect for the rule of law. This has gone well with the global powers.

On the diplomatic front, Russia is the latest nation to agree to recognise the NTC as Libya's legitimate government. African Union (AU) spokesman Noureddine Mezni said the pledges made by the NTC at the Paris summit were encouraging. The AU has not formally recognised the NTC although some of its member states have individually. It has expressed concern about Nato's military intervention in a domestic conflict. South Africa, a key AU member, boycotted the talks. He was reassured by the commitments made to protect African workers in Libya, who have faced potential attacks by Libyans who accuse them of being mercenaries for Col Gaddafi.

Hours before the Paris conference, the European Union (EU) has unfrozen the financial assets and economic resources of 28 Libyan entities, which have been frozen under the sanctions on Gaddafi's regime in February. The UN has already started unblocking funds in favour of the new Libyan government. According to the BBC, 140 million pounds (280 million Libyan dinars) were transported yesterday by the British Air Forces to Libya as a first tranche of a total of nearly one billion pounds to be handed over to the Libyan Central Bank.