Libyan officials are scrambling to soften the wave of economic sanctions hitting Col. Moammar Gadhafi's government

Libyan officials are scrambling to soften the wave of economic sanctions hitting Col. Moammar Gadhafi's government, as European Union foreign ministers and North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials meet in Brussels to consider options for intervening in the stalemate between rebels and pro-Gadhafi forces in Libya.

Underscoring the challenges the regime faces, the Associated Press Thursday reported that France said it formally recognizes Libya's opposition National Transitional Council, and Germany's economics ministry said it had frozen "billions" in additional assets belonging to Col. Gadhafi's government and its banks. French President Nicolas Sarkozy Thursday met with two representatives of the newly formed council, the AP said. Defense ministers and many EU foreign ministers and leaders also have declined to meet with Libyan government envoys that have traveled to Europe, according to a senior diplomat.

To press the regime's case, a Libyan envoy Thursday met with Greece's deputy foreign minister and the ministry's secretary general, a day after similar talks were held in Lisbon with Portugal's Foreign Minister Luis Amado, and Egyptian and Maltan officials, AP reported. The Greek ministry said the meeting was arranged in agreement with the EU's top foreign-policy officer Catherine Ashton ahead of the EU foreign meeting in Brussels, the AP said.