Rebels outside Misrata celebrate their victory over the Gadhafi regime.
Paris (CNN) -- Libya's rebel leadership is expected to outline its humanitarian, reconstruction and political needs when representatives from about 60 countries gather in Paris on Thursday to discuss the country's transition to democracy, diplomats said.
A roadmap for a constitution and democratic elections are expected to come out of the conference, according to the diplomats, even as rebels battle forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.
Chief on the agenda will be discussions about Libya's immediate humanitarian needs, the diplomats said.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about sensitive diplomatic discussions.
There is an expectation that the National Transitional Council will outline its own plans to stabilize security and address the growing humanitarian crisis, a senior U.S. State Department official told reporters Wednesday in Washington.
The council's ability to deliver water, food, power and gas to the Libyan people "will really be a key test in these first few days in terms of their ability to show what credibility they have," the official said.
The gathering of the International Contact Group on Libya -- a coalition of governments and international organizations -- is the latest in a series of meetings since the war began in February.
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Representatives of NATO, the African Union and the Arab League also are expected to attend the meeting.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed late Wednesday for the high-level meeting, which the official said is intended to pay tribute to the Libyans for casting off -- with the help of NATO warplanes -- the rule of Gadhafi and help the North African nation prepare for the transition.
"We want to hear from them what their needs are in the area of humanitarian assistance and in the area of financial support," the senior State Department official said. The United States and Britain have already unfrozen funds for the transitional council.
The council has estimated it needs an immediate 5 billion euros, the equivalent of $7.1 billion, to address emergency needs.
Britain started delivery of money Wednesday, flying it to a bank in Benghazi, the foreign secretary said in a statement.
About 280 million Libyan dinars, the equivalent of $227.3 million, were delivered to the bank, the statement said. Additional deliveries are expected shortly, it said.
The money will be used to pay government employees, including nurses, doctors, teachers and police officers, the statement said.
It will also pay for medicine and food, the statement said.
France plans to release 1.5 billion euros, about $2.1 billion, frozen at the start of the war, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told Radio RTL on Thursday.
"It is money that belongs to Libya -- to the NTC so that it can begin rebuilding," Juppe said.
The delivery came a day after the European Union said it was considering lifting some of its sanctions on Libya.
Sanctions will remain in place on Gadhafi and other individuals, the EU said, but restrictions on ports, oil and gas companies and financial institutions may be removed by the end of the week.
And Italy and Spain announced Wednesday they were lifting blocks on Libyan assets frozen to put pressure on the Gadhafi regime.
Meanwhile, Russia is recognizing the transitional council as Libya's governing authority, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Thursday.
Russia has been a critic of the NATO bombing campaign that began in March after the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution for the use of force, with the exception of a ground invasion, to protect civilians. Russia, a member of the Security Council, abstained from the vote.
Though Libya may need some bridge loans in the early going, the oil-rich country is likely to need more technical assistance than financial aid over the longer haul, another State Department official said.
The United Nations is well placed to coordinate such requests, "but the Libyans will definitely be in the driver's seat," the official said.
The State Department officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the matter.
Among those attending the meeting is Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci, who said Thursday that Gadhafi was not in his country.
Speculation began this week after Gadhafi's wife, two children and other relatives were allowed entrance into the country on what it said were humanitarian grounds.
"The hypothesis that Mr. Gadhafi could come knocking on our door was never considered," Medelci told French radio network Europe 1 when asked whether Gadhafi was in Algeria.
The council has said it wants the family members to face criminal prosecution, though it has not specified the charges.
Medelci also told the radio station that Algeria will recognize the transitional council as the legitimate government in Libya.
"The NTC has said it is going to set up a government representative of all regions, and when it has done that, we'll recognize it," Medelci said.
CNN's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.
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