Libyan leader Muammar Gaddaffi received European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and French first lady Cecilia Sarkozy to discuss the release of the six Bulgarian medics sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sarkozy and French presidency general secretary Claude Gueant were preparing the repatriation of the medics, French magazine Le Point said.

According to other French media, the six medics may fly back to Europe on the French president’s aircraft as soon as July 23 2007.

European Commission (EC) president Jose Manuel Barroso and French president Nikolas Sarkozy had a series of telephone conversations about the release of the six Bulgarian medics on the night of July 22 2007, Agence France-Presse said.

Focus news agency quoted an unidentified Libyan source as saying that president Sarkozy was expected to arrive in Libya on July 25 2007.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said that he expected political negotiations with Libya on the return of the medics to be completed on July 23.