Sarkozy offers Gaddafi 'options' at G8 summit

"We are not saying that Gaddafi needs to be exiled. He must leave power and the quicker he does it, the greater his choice," Sarkozy told journalists.

Sarkozy is hosting a meeting of leaders from the G8 group of wealthy nations in the northern French resort of Deauville.

The Arab uprisings, internet regulation and future of nuclear power are all topics on the table being debated at the two-day summit.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, also at the G8 summit, has approved the deployment of Apache attack helicopters in Libya, the BBC reports. There had been speculation about the move after France said it would be deploying French Tiger helicopters.

Sarkozy defended NATO’s intervention in Libya when speaking to journalists on Thursday evening: "had we not stepped in [the rebel stronghold of] Benghazi would have been wiped off the map".

He also thanked Russia for not blocking the UN resolution authorising force despite Moscow's misgivings, and said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev understood that "the blame lies with Col Gaddafi" and he had said so "frankly and unambiguously".

He said the later Col Gaddafi stood down, "the shorter the list of his possible destinations".

If Col Gaddafi stepped down and withdrew his forces quickly, President Sarkozy said, "all options are open".

"Then we'll look at what the name should be on the plane ticket and even what class he should travel," he said lightly.

Sarkozy also slammed the violence ongoing in Syria, describing it as unacceptable “and would be the subject of further talks at the summit.”

Speaking on new rules on trade and the environment that are needed to recognise emerging nations, Sarkozy insisted France had supported a drive to give developing nations a greater voice in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) despite Paris's backing for another European to go at its helm

He also advocated a “new push for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and Europe and Russia should play a critical role along with the US in forging it.”

In his own address, Cameron also talked about "turning up the pressure" on Col Gaddafi but the Apache helicopters will probably go into operation "within days" rather than overnight, reports the BBC.

Leaders also debated ways of improving global nuclear safety after the breakdown of Japan's Fukushima power plant following March's earthquake and tsunami, with Sarkozy insisting that "when it comes to nuclear matters, safety must prevail over cost - that we all agreed on".

US President Barack Obama, who headed to the meeting after a state visit to the UK, is holding a series of one-on-one meetings with leaders including President Sarkozy and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

He has already met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for discussions over the two countries' long-running row over US plans to create a missile defence shield in central and eastern Europe.

President Obama told reporters that the two men were committed to finding an approach that met the security needs of both countries, while Mr Medvedev said the two could work together towards a resolution, but it was unlikely to come in the near future.