“We strongly endorse the decision to hold as soon as possible the Geneva Conference on Syria to implement fully the Geneva Communiqué of 30 June 2012, which sets out a number of key steps beginning with agreement on a transitional governing body with full executive powers, formed by mutual consent,” the communiqué stated.

However, the final communiqué failed to mention the fate of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Instead it condemned the use of chemical weapons generally and said the UN should be allowed to do an objective investigation.

The G8 leaders also expressed their deep concern “at the appalling human tragedy” that the UN estimates has cost the lives of over 93,000 people and led to 4.2 million internally displaced persons and 1.6 million refugees.

“We acknowledge the vital humanitarian role played by neighboring countries hosting Syrian refugees, above all Lebanon and Jordan, in dealing with the significant economic and security pressures they are facing as a result of the conflict and refugee influx,” it added.

Meanwhile, divisions remained as Russia stood by its embattled ally rejecting reports of Assad’s regime using chemical weapons and said at his closing news conference that there is no proof that the Syrian government used the weapons.

The Syria conflict has put at odds Russia and Washington saying last week that it would start arming the rebels against the Syrian regime.

Putin, said that Russia would not rule out new arms supplies.

“We are supplying arms to the legitimate government in accordance with legal contracts,” Putin told a news conference according to AFP.

G8 leaders pledged around $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid with President Obama announcing over $300 million alone in additional life-saving humanitarian assistance.

Other issues that dominated the meeting were tax evasion and transparency.

Cameron made the comments on Tuesday in a television interview on Al Arabiya while visiting the United Arab Emirates before flying to Saudi Arabia.

“I am certainly not offering him an exit plan to Britain, but if he wants to leave, he could leave, that could be arranged,” Cameron told Al Arabiya television.

The British Foreign Office later clarified that London was not making Assad an offer. “We have been clear that Assad should face justice and that it is for the Syrian people, including the opposition, to decide the details of a transition including the options for Assad. The longer the killing goes on, the fewer options Assad will have,” according to a statement by the Foreign office.

Yet Cameron’s comments drew immediate criticism from rights group Amnesty International which condemned the prime minister’s suggestion for an ‘exit plan’

Amnesty International UK Syria campaign manager Kristyan Benedict said: “Instead of talking about immunity deals for President Assad, David Cameron should be supporting efforts to ensure that he faces justice, ideally at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

“After Syrian government forces have indulged in a massive campaign of indiscriminate bombings, mass round-ups and torture, there should be no question of Bashar al-Assad escaping justice with a cosy deal of this kind,” she added.

A failed ceasefire bid, new reports of atrocities, an increase in the number of car bombings and a still-dire humanitarian situation mark some of the highlights since Mr. Brahimi’s briefing of the Council two weeks ago, the political affairs chief noted in his comments.

Meanwhile, battles between government forces and rebels continued on the ground, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rgihts reporting more than 1200 deaths on Tuesday.

Bombs exploded in several districts of the capital, Damascus, and the state news agency said gunmen killed the brother of the parliament speaker while he drove to work in the city.

Mohammed Osama Laham, brother of Jihad Laham, was killed in the Damascus neighbourhood of Midan, SANA reported.

The attack was the latest in a wave of assassinations targeting Syrian officials, army officers and other prominent supporters of Assad’s regime.