UN envoy in Malta after Tripoli meetings

Gaddafi’s government told him NATO must end air strikes before any talks can begin and that Col. Gaddafi's role as leader was non-negotiable, though rebels and the West insist he step down.

Britain and France, carrying out most of the NATO bombing attacks, dropped their insistence that Gaddafi leave the country as part of any settlement, in an apparent softening of their position.

The U.N. envoy, Abdul Elah al-Khatib, arrived in Tripoli straight from talks with rebels in their eastern stronghold of Benghazi on Monday.

He met Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi who said they had a productive dialogue -- but about implementing U.N. resolutions, not negotiating an end to the five-month-old conflict in which neither side seems to have the upper hand.

"This aggression (air strikes) needs to stop immediately, without that we cannot have a dialogue, we cannot solve any problems in Libya," Mahmoudi told a news conference afterwards.

Asked if he had told the envoy that Gaddafi's position was not up for negotiation, he said: "Exactly."

Khatib was not immediately available for comment.

In London, the British and French foreign ministers, William Hague and Alain Juppe, called once more for Gaddafi to leave power but, on the matter of whether he could stay in Libya, both said it was up to Libyans to decide.

Britain said it had not changed policy but comments by Hague were interpreted as tacit backing for the proposal, floated last week by France, that Gaddafi could remain in Libya.

A rebel leader this week appeared to endorse the view, which would mark a major shift from previous rebel demands that he leave and be tried for war crimes in The Hague.

Deadlines are approaching for the NATO-led alliance, whose U.N. mandate for military action -- granted on the grounds that it would protect civilians -- expires in two months.

Hopes an agreement could be reached before Ramadan have faded as the Muslim holy month gets nearer. It begins next week.

Khatib arrived in Malta on a special flight from Tripoli late last night and this morning met with foreign minister Tonio Borg, and later addressed Maltese ambassadors who are gathered in Malta for their annual meeting.

Khatib has so far refused commenting to the media on his visit to Tripoli.