Libya and Switzerland have still not found a solution to the visa row that has also affected other European countries, with scant details emerging from the latest round of talks held in Berlin on Friday.

A Swiss Foreign Ministry official confirmed that the meetings in Berlin did take place but declined to give further details, citing the sensitivity of the negotiations, Swiss media reported.

A meeting between Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa and his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey on Thursday in Spain failed to resolve the spat.

It is understood that Libya demanded that the Swiss travel ban over Libyan citizens be lifted prior to any talks but Switzerland has continued to ask for the release of the two Swiss nationals currently detained in Libya.

The issue will be on the agenda of today's meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels after Malta had requested it be included on the agenda.

The dispute between the two countries has involved the rest of Europe after Libya blocked Schengen visa holders from entering the country in retaliation to Switzerland's blacklist of around 200 Libyan officials, including Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and members of his family.

Malta, Italy and France have called on Switzerland to drop the blacklist, accusing the Swiss of abusing the Schengen visa system.

The dispute dates back to 2008 when Col Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, and his pregnant wife were arrested in Switzerland on charges of mistreating two domestic employees, a case that was later dropped. Libya had responded by stopping oil exports to Switzerland, withdrawing financial assets from Swiss accounts and arresting two Swiss businessmen, who are still in Libya.

Amnesty International was quoted by AFP news agency saying that Libya returned the passport of one of the Swiss businessmen, Rashid Hamdani, but did not give him an exit visa.

Mr Hamdani along with fellow businessman Max Goeldi are cooped up in the Swiss embassy in Tripoli and have been stranded there for 19 months.