French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Libya’s strongman Muammar Gaddafi is close to stepping down.

Juppe said they had contacts with emissaries of Libyan leader, Xinhua news agency reports.

Earlier on Tuesday the French National Assembly voted to extend France’s participation in NATO operations in Libya.

Civil war broke out in Libya this February. In March the UN Security Council adopted a resolution for international coalition under NATO command to launch military operation in the country.