Paris, Aug 25 (IANS): French President Francois Hollande and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon discussed the upcoming international conference on climate change, urging action for a binding accord to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, the French presidency said on Tuesday.

Hollande and the visiting UN chief "discussed the next steps in the preparation of COP 21. They welcomed the progress already achieved but much remains to be done," Hollande's office said, Xinhua reported.

With the aim "to give the necessary political impetus for negotiations to succeed" France and Peru will co-chair a meeting on the issue on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly scheduled for Sept. 27, the Elysee added in a statement.

"Every opportunity must be seized to advance by December, particularly on funding the meeting in Lima in October and the G20 summit in Antalya in November," it said.

Speaking about political crises in the Middle East, mainly in Libya, Hollande reiterated "support of the political process under the aegis of the UN," adding it has to bring satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible.