EU heads of government set to hold an extraordinary meeting on Friday are expected to urge Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to quit and may decide on further sanctions against his state, Hungary''s foreign minister said.

"Before any military step we must send very clear political messages and I expect today''s meeting of heads of state and prime ministers, that is, the extraordinary summit of the European Council, to do just that," Janos Martonyi told Hungarian public radio MR1-Kossuth in an interview.

"The essence of the political message is that Gaddafi must quit and the conditions for a democratic transition to begin in Libya must be created," he said.

Hungary holds the EU''s rotating presidency.

Martonyi added that extra sanctions could include freezing the assets of Libyan oil and gas producer and export companies.

"It cannot be ruled out that depending on the developments, which are not really favourable as a matter of fact, there will be further sanctions ... (including) ... freezing the assets of companies involved in oil and gas production and exports."

Martonyi also said efforts must be redoubled to provide humanitarian aid and evacuation.

"One thing is for certain, whatever happens, we must work in the closest possible coordination with Arab countries."