Libya's rival leaders are meeting in Paris to agree on a political roadmap including elections, in an effort to bring order to Libya's chaos.

Representatives of twenty countries, including Libya's neighbours, regional and Western powers and international organisations are expected at Tuesday's meeting.

The UN-backed conference aims at securing parliamentary and presidential elections in the North African country, if possible by the end of 2018.

An official at the French presidency said the main Libyan leaders have agreed in principle to a non-binding accord.

Libya is split between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of militias.

Participants to the conference include Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, head of Libya's UN-recognised government in Tripoli in the west, and General Khalifa Hifter, the commander of Libya's self-styled national army which dominates the country's east.

Representatives of Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, which have backed Hifter and the rival administration in Tobruk in the east, are also attending, as well as the UN special envoy Ghassan Salame.