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Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the leader of the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli, and Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the so-called Libyan National Army which controls parts of the east of the country, met with the French President at a chateau in La Celle Saint-Cloud, west of Paris. Ghassan Salam, the new special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, also took part in the discussions Tuesday.

"Today, the cause of peace in Libya has made great progress," President Macron tweeted.

The talks ended with a 10-point joint declaration backed by the two Libyan rivals.

The two leaders said they recognized that the "solution to the Libya crisis can only be a political one and requires a national reconciliation process involving all Libyans," according to the statement released by the lyse Palace.

The declaration also included a commitment to "work towards the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible ... in cooperation with the relevant institutions and with the support and under the supervision of the United Nations."

The two rivals pledged a "ceasefire and to refrain from any use of armed force for any purpose that does not strictly constitute counter-terrorism..."

Earlier Tuesday, the French President's office acknowledged it had prematurely released a statement outlining the deal. It released the new statement hours later.

Sarraj and Haftar had not met since failed talks in the United Arab Emirates in May.

Both men have been involved in the struggle for power in Libya, which descended into chaos after former dictator Moammar Gadhafi was toppled in 2011.

France played a leading role in the international intervention in Libya. All parties, including those countries that neighbor Libya, were keen to secure a peace deal and work toward ending the migrant crisis, with Libya often used as a gateway to Europe.

Macron has not been shy in embracing the international stage, hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump since taking office.

His latest attempt is to bring an end to the crisis which has engulfed Libya.

The country has been beset by internal divisions since Gadhafi was overthrown six years ago, a move which led to the collapse of the economy and vital oil production as well as the emergence of ISIS.

Sarraj has the backing of the UN in the Libyan capital. But Haftar, who rejects Sarraj's government, remains in control in the eastern city of Tobruk, and his forces liberated the city of Benghazi last month after three years of fighting Islamists.

One of the most problematic issues facing Libya and Europe is the flood of refugees making the dangerous crossing between the two.

Many of those attempting to make the trip are aiming for Italy, which is desperate for a solution to instability within Libya.

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Libya rivals agree to ceasefire, elections - CNN.com

This combination of pictures shows self-styled Libyan National Army's chief Khalifa Haftar (L) on Aug. 24, 2015 and Libya's U.N.-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on April 7, 2017.Khalil MazraawiAFP/Getty Images

(LA CELLE SAINT-CLOUD, France) Two rival Libyan leaders committed themselves on Tuesday to a cease-fire, working toward presidential and parliamentary elections and finding a roadmap to secure lawless Libya against terrorism and trafficking of all kinds, according to a document released by the French presidency.

The meetings at a chateau in La Celle Saint-Cloud, west of Paris, brought together Fayez Serraj, prime minister of the U.N.-backed unity government, and Gen. Khalifa Hifter, the Egyptian-backed commander of Libya's self-styled national army.

Emmanuel Macron met separately with each ahead of an encounter between the two Libyans in the presence of U.N.'s newly appointed special envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame.

"There is political legitimacy in the hands of Mr. Serraj. There is military legitimacy is in the hands of Mr. Hifter. They have decided to work together," Macron said after the series of encounters.

The 10-point joint declaration that capped the talks was the first of its kind between the rivals.

Among the points agreed upon was a commitment to a cease-fire with armed force reserved "strictly" for use in counter-terrorism operations.

The rivals also "solemnly commit to work toward the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible."

The French president said later that the goal is for balloting in the spring. Serraj had said in May that elections would be held in spring. The date may seem premature in a country that has spiraled into chaos since the 2011 toppling and killing of leader Moammar Gadhafi. But French diplomats had said before the meeting that they would support such an initiative.

"The stakes of this reconciliation are enormous. Enormous for the Libyan people, who have been suffering, living with instability and terrorist threats these past years, and it is considerable for the whole region," Macron said after the talks. "If Libya fails," he said, "the whole region fails with it."

The stakes are high for Europe, too, as hundreds of thousands of migrants using Libya as a springboard reach its shores, mainly in Italy, and as Islamic extremists sheltering and multiplying in Libya cross to other North African states, most former French colonies.

The encounter was never expected to resolve the knotty problems of Libya, politically fractured and awash in militias and weapons and human traffickers preying on migrants who use the Libyan coast as a jumping off point to Europe, mainly Italy. But the joint declaration is to serve as a basis for further work by the U.N. envoy.

Macron, elected in May, was at ease in his role as peacemaker. He has made known that working toward laying the groundwork for a Libya with a functioning government and institutions is a priority of his presidency.

Appearing at a news conference, the three men shook hands and the two Libyan rivals bear-hugged Macron before exchanging timid kisses on the cheek. Neither Serraj nor Hifter spoke to the press.

"The courage that is yours today by being here and by agreeing to this joint declaration is historic," Macron said.

France, minding its diplomatic manners, has made clear that Macron's initiative is part of a larger process guided by the U.N. and does not negate work by the European Union, the African Union and individual countries working to find a path leading to a stable Libya under civilian rule.

The 10 points of the final declaration paint a picture of a Libya with a democratically elected government and a regular army and where human rights are respected and militias are banned.

The first point states that the solution to the Libyan crisis "can only be political" with a national reconciliation process that includes "all Libyans."

The two leaders called for disarmament and demobilization of fighters who don't want to integrate the regular armed forces so they can be reintegrated into civilian life.

This was not the first meeting between Serraj and Hifter. They last met in early May in Abu Dhabi, and the United Arab Emirates said later there had been a "significant breakthrough." However, no joint declaration followed.

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Libyan Rivals Agree to a Cease-Fire and Elections After Talks in France - TIME

Twenty suspected Isis fighters were shot and killed at point blankrange by the self-styledLibyanNational Army, according to two videos released on social media.

The first clip shows 18men in orange jump suitskneeling on the ground, blindfolded. A man believed to be Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a senior leader of General Khalifa Haftars forces, can be seen reading out charges before executing one of the people himself, according to the Libyan Express.

A second video shows two more suspects killed.

The executions reportedly took place on 17 July, withfootage posted online on Sunday.

On 18 July,United Nations human rights spokesperson Liz Throssell urged General Haftar's factionto investigate executions and suspend the commander, Werfalli.

We are deeply concerned that, after recent fighting in Benghazi, people taken prisoner by members of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which effectively controls eastern Libya, may be at imminent risk of torture and even summary execution.

Reports have suggested the involvement of Special Forces, a unit aligned with the LNA, in torturing detainees and summarily executing at least 10 captured men.

We urge the LNA to ensure there is a full, impartial investigation into these allegations.

The UN had also called on the general to suspend Werfalli after a video emerged in March, allegedly showing him shooting dead three men who were kneeling in a similar fashion to the suspected Isis detainees in the July clip.

The latest video comes as French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host General Haftar and Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in an effort to help broker a UN-supported agreement between the two. Tensions are high afterGeneral Haftarwas quoted to havesaid he refusesto work with the Unity Government until the militias are disbanded.

The country has been in a volatilestate since rebel forces enacted a coup and removed Muammar Gaddafifrom power, in 2011.

A statement from the French president reads: France intends, through this initiative, to facilitate a political understanding between the Libyan Prime Minister and the Commander of the Libyan National Army, as Mr Ghassan Salam, the United Nations Secretary-General's new Special Representative for Libya, who is participating in the discussions, takes office as United Nations mediator.

In consultation with all its partners, France intends to signal its support for the efforts to build a political compromise, under the aegis of the United Nations, which draws all the various Libyan players together on an inclusive basis.

The challenge is to create a state which is capable of addressing the Libyans' basic needs and equipped with a regular, unified army under the authority of civilian power. This is necessary for controlling Libya's territory and borders in order to combat terrorist groups and the trafficking of arms and migrants, but also with a view to the return of stable institutional life.

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'Isis' fighters blindfolded and shot dead by Libyan forces in mass ... - The Independent

Rome - Rescuers coming to the aid of a dinghy packed with migrants off the coast of Libya said on Tuesday they had discovered 13 bodies including those of pregnant women.

"Thirteen corpses in total. People who had names, surnames, mothers, fathers, friends, and lives," said Proactiva Open Arms, a Spanish NGO involved in rescues in the Mediterranean, on Twitter.

"We have found 167 people drifting," it said earlier noting that "several pregnant women and mothers" were among an initial toll of 11 dead and that their relatives were on board.

A Save The Children ship on Tuesday rescued some 70 migrants who were also attempting to cross in a small boat.

The Italian coastguard confirmed the deaths and said worsening weather conditions at sea were likely to dissuade traffickers for now from setting more boats full of people to sail in the Mediterranean.

Close to 94 000 people have been brought to safety in Italy so far this year, according to Italy's interior ministry, an increase of over five percent compared to the same period last year.

More than 2 370 people have died since January attempting the perilous crossing, the UN refugee agency said.

The fresh deaths came as Italy's Interior Minister Marco Minniti was due to meet with NGOs to discuss a new "code of conduct" to regulate the operations of privately run rescue boats.

The 12-point code, which has been given the green-light by Brussels, would ban aid vessels from entering Libyan territorial waters and oblige them to accept anti-trafficking police officers on board.

While some of the NGOs operating in the Mediterranean have agreed to sign the code, others have insisted doing so would put the lives of vulnerable migrants at sea in flimsy vessels at risk.

Minniti has insisted that those who do not sign the document will not be allowed to dock at Italian ports.

Although Italy has repeatedly stressed that it will continue to save lives at sea, Rome has upped its requests for fellow European states to help shoulder the load - particularly in terms of providing shelter to those rescued.

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Rescuers find 13 bodies in crowded migrant dinghy off Libya - News24

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's coastguard rescued an estimated 278 migrants including women and children on Monday off the shores of two different towns west of the capital Tripoli, a spokesman said.

Thecoastal towns to the west of Tripoli - Zawiya, Sabratha, and Zuwarah - are common departure points for migrantstrying toreachEurope, often sent out by smugglers in flimsy vessels.

The coastguard near Zawiya refinery rescued 128 people about 23 km (14 miles) off the coast and another 150 were rescued off Sabratha, the spokesman of Libyan naval forces Ayoub Qaseed told Reuters.

The migrants were mostly from sub-Saharan African countries, though there was also one from Bangladesh and two from Egypt.

Thousands of migrants trying to cross to Europe by sea use the central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy. The vast majority of migrants set off from the coastal towns ofwestern Libya.

Italy and the European Union are trying to work with Libyan authorities to fight smugglers, but the current chaos in Libya has allowed armed groups and criminal gangs to flourish and is hampering efforts to combat trafficking.

Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; editing by Patrick Markey and Gareth Jones

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Libya coastguard rescues nearly 300 migrants off the coast: official - Reuters