G-8 leaders agree on financial aid to Egypt, Tunisia

World leaders agreed Friday to provide financial support to the newly forming governments of Tunisia and Egypt, adopting President Obama’s plan to help build lasting democracies in those countries.

As they wrapped up their annual summit here, leaders of the Group of 8 industrialized nations directed the International Monetary Fund to provide loans and other financial support.

Although they did not commit to specific pledges of financial assistance individually, the leaders suggested they would do so either in direct loans or debt forgiveness or through contributions to international banks and funds.

In a series of joint statements issued Friday morning, the group voiced support for the “aspirations of the Arab Spring,” along with those of the people of Iran, and called on the leadership of Syria to stop using violence against protesters.

Although the group usually gathers to focus on economic issues, the campaign against Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi was at the top of the priority list in almost every side meeting.

In a one-on-one session with President Obama on Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy pressed for more American firepower in that cause.

After the meeting, Sarkozy told reporters that he and Obama share “the same analysis” on Libya.

Obama is scheduled to leave France on Friday afternoon for a visit to Poland, where he is to meet with the Polish prime minister and lay a wreath at the monument to the Warsaw ghetto.

christi.parsons@latimes.com