Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Moroccan counterpart Taib Fassi Fihri, Westerwelle said: "We want concrete sanctions to be decided" at the United Nations Security Council meeting expected to be convened later Friday.

"The European Union should also decide on sanctions," he added, suggesting an arms embargo, a travel ban on leading Libyan regime officials and a seizure of Libyan assets.

Earlier Friday, France and Britain proposed that the UN Security Council pass a resolution calling for sanctions and a total arms embargo against Libya, where the security situation is becoming ever more desperate.

The EU's chief diplomat Catherine Ashton has also called for "restrictive measures" to be placed on Qadhafi.