Russia and China will participate in the international conference "Friends of Libya" even though they have not technically recognized the Transitional National Council of the Libyan rebels as a sovereign government.

China and Russia will send its envoys to the international conference of "Friends of Libya" which will take place in Paris on September 1, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Russian presidential envoy to Africa said on Wednesday, as cited by RIA Novosti.

The forum will focus on Libya's future after the end of the regime of notorious dictator Muammar Gaddafi who is still surviving in the ongoing Libyan civil war. The conference was initiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and backed by British Prime Minister David Cameron will feature 60 foreign delegations of countries.

"China supports the efforts ... of restoring peace and stability in Libya and contributing to the gradual change of political power in the country," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement.

China said Wednesday it was sending a vice-minister to "observe" a Paris conference on the future of Libya, whose rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) Beijing has not officially recognized, as cited by Al Jazeera.

US Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all said they will attend, while most other participants said they would send their foreign ministers.

China said it would be represented by its Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun at the meeting, which will seek to address the reconstruction of Libya.

China's foreign ministry said Jun would attend "as the representative and observer of the Chinese government".

The head of the Russian upper house's international affairs committee, Mikhail Margelov, confirmed that Moscow had received an invitation to the Paris talks.

Margelov said the conference is aimed at setting up grounds for "the new international assistance for Libyan citizens" and restoration of the country.

The UN Security Council must play the key role in Libya's peace talks, though "it does not prohibit our country from participating in international forums on Libyan peace restoration," the Russian diplomat said, as cited by RIA Novosti.

Sarkozy said last week that among the countries invited to the talks are the Contact Group on Libya member states, including participants in the NATO-led military operation and representatives of the United Nations, the Arab League and the African Union, as well as China, Russia, India and Brazil that have expressed concerns over the operation.

Ahead of the Paris meeting, France proposed renaming the Contact Group into the Group of Friends of Libya.

The talks in Paris will take place amid dramatic developments in Libya, where rebels have established control over most of the capital, Tripoli. Gaddafi himself has fled his compound in Tripoli and his whereabouts remain unknown.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!