Italy has donated three patrol boats to the Libyan navy as part of a cooperation agreement signed between the countries to stem illegal migration from the North African state.

The donation was announced by Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni. The fast boats were donated by the Guardia di Finanza and are in addition to another three boats donated in May last year.

Sources said that apart from the boats Libya also received a number of vehicles as part of the agreement.

Italy and Libya started joint sea patrols last year and migrants rescued at sea were forcibly returned to Libya, a policy heavily criticised by the UN as being in breach of migrants' human rights. However, the policy is likely to be sustained as Italy saw a 74 per cent drop in immigrant arrivals on its shores last year.

The patrol boat donation comes hot on the heels of an announcement that Russia is to supply Libya with small arms and other weapons to the value of €1.3 billion.

The deal was signed at the end of January but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gave no details of the arms covered by the contract. Speculation was rife in Russia that it could have included fighter planes, tanks and an air defence system.