Libya stops visa issuance to most European states

Tripoli: In an apparent escalation of its diplomatic row with Switzerland, Libya has suspended issuing entry visas to citizens of most European countries.

The action followed a day after a Libyan newspaper reported that the North African country would take "severe measures" in response to Switzerland drawing up a visa blacklist that included Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and members of his family.

A notice on France's foreign ministry website said Libya had suspended visas for the Schengen area - 25 European countries, including some which, like Switzerland, are not in the European Union. EU members Britain, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus are not in Schengen.

Italy's Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Libya, which has Africa's largest proven oil reserves, had suspended visas.

Libya has been locked for months in a row with Switzerland over the brief 2008 arrest of one of Gaddafi's sons in Geneva, and the subsequent prosecution of two Swiss businessmen who had been working in Libya.