Algeria never envisaged granting asylum to Muammar Gaddafi, its foreign minister told French radio today, despite allowing part of the deposed strongman's family into the country.

"The hypothesis that Mr Gaddafi could come knocking on our door was never considered," Mourad Medelci told Europe 1, a few hours before a major Paris conference of countries France has dubbed "friends of Libya".

He also said that Algeria was prepared to recognised the Transitional National Council as the Libyan government if it formed a broad-based administration.