French President Emmanuel Macron said today that he was hoping to set up so-called "hot spots" to handle asylum requests in Libya, which has seen thousands flee fighting in the country.

Earlier this week, Macron chaired talks between Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and the divided country's eastern commander Khalifa Haftar.

At those talks, the two Libyans committed to a conditional ceasefire and to work towards holding elections next spring.

Macron wants France to play a bigger role in coaxing Libya's factions to end the turmoil that has allowed Islamist militants to gain a foothold and migrant smugglers to flourish in the absence of a strong central government.

On Wednesday, Libya's Tripoli-based government asked Italy to provide naval support in fighting human trafficking in Libyan territorial waters.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni met Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Seraj, who came to Rome a day after agreeing a conditional ceasefire and possible elections next year with the divided country's eastern commander, Khalifa Haftar.

"A few days ago, President Seraj sent me a letter in which he asked the Italian government for technical support by our naval vessels in the common effort to fight human traffickers," Gentiloni said.

Gentiloni added that the request, if parliament agrees to support it, "is necessary" and "would be carried out in Libyan waters by ships sent from Italy".

People smugglers operating with impunity in Libya have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants to Italy by sea since the start of 2014.