NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said the organization is proud to have helped Libya during the uprising against the late Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Mr Rasmussen said that during the visit to Libya, he held talks with National Transitional Council (NTC) leaders, including its chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil, about Libya's future and the roadmap for transition to democracy.

"You've acted to change your history and your destiny; we acted to protect you. Together we succeeded; Libya is finally free, from Benghazi to Brega, from Misrata to the Nafusa mountains, and Tripoli," he said at a news conference.

"Many countries in the Arab world know us and trust us; many acted with us to protect you. I hope that the free, democratic Libya will join us as a partner one day soon; but this is up to you. The future of free Libya is finally firmly in your hands," he said, BBC reported.