The European Union is to open an office in Libya's rebel-held city of Benghazi to shore up assistance for the opposition to Moamer Kadhafi, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Wednesday.

"I intend to open an office in Benghazi so that we can move forward on the support we've discussed to the people," Ashton told the European Parliament.

The aim of the new office would be "to support civil society, to support the interim national council... to support security sector reform, to build on what the people ask us to," she added.

"They want health and education, health-care, security on the borders, the kind of support we are able to give them and want to give them."

Her statement came the same day rebel leader Mahmud Jibril, of the opposition National Transitional Council (NTC), was to meet with key US lawmakers.

The United States has yet to recognise the NTC as as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. France, Italy, Qatar and Gambia have already done so.

NATO, which is conducting air strikes against pro-Kadhafi forces to protect civilians, has decided to establish its own civilian post in Benghazi in an effort to step up political contacts with the opposition.

Britain, France and Italy separately have sent dozens of special military advisers into Benghazi.

The opposition has been fighting Kadhafi loyalists since the regime violently put down pro-reform protests in mid-February.

International powers agreed last week to set up a new fund to aid the rebels and promised to tap frozen Kadhafi regime assets.

The rebels have also urged the international community to send them advanced weaponry to break a stalemate on the battlefield, but the international community is divided over arming the opposition.

The United States, France and Britain launched a first wave of air strikes and cruise missiles against the Kadhafi regime on March 19 to prevent the strongman from crushing the rebellion.