The Head of Libyan High Council of State (HCS), Khalid Al-Mishri, agreed with the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on the need to hold elections in Libya on time next December and disagreed on the removal of foreign forces and mercenaries from the country, according to the HCS media office.

Al-Mishri and Le Drian met Friday on the margins of the ceremony of the new elected president of Niger assuming office and discussed the need for speeding up the House of Representatives work to approve legislations for the electoral process in coordination with the HCS.

Al-Mishri told Le Drian of the need to remove foreign mercenaries and illegal forces from Libya first, and then the forces that were formerly requested by legitimate authorities based on joint agreements later on, but Le Drian believed that all foreign forces must be removed from Libya at the same time.

Meanwhile, Al-Mishri told Le Drian that it was very difficult to make sure that all foreign forces and mercenaries left the country and that they needed a viable mechanism in cooperation with the 5+5 Joint Military Commission as those forces pose a threat to the national security in Libya.