Russia, which has criticised NATO's campaign in Libya, said it agreed Col Gaddafi had lost all legitimacy.

In a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day summit, the G8 also criticised Syria's deadly crackdown on protesters. The communiqué was issued as NATO reported that government forces had laid landmines in the rebel-held western Libyan city of Misrata.

The bloc's statement included plans for a US$20bn (£12bn) package for Tunisia and Egypt over the next two years.

In his comments at the end of the summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the wording of the communique had been toughened overnight and fully endorsed by the Russians.

US President Barack Obama - after talks about Libya with the French president - said: "We are joined in resolve to finish the job."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference at the end of the gathering in Normandy that he was prepared to mediate Col Gaddafi's departure, but he said Libya should be preserved as a single state.