The Spanish European Union presidency has asked Libya to explain why it has decided to stop granting short-term visas to the citizens of most EU countries, Foreign Ministry sources said Wednesday.
A representative of the ministry met with the second-in-charge of the Libyan embassy in Madrid on Tuesday.
The sources said technical information was discussed at the meeting, dpa reported.
Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos was due to meet his Libyan counterpart, Mousa Kousa, in Madrid on Thursday.
Spain was acting simultaneously with EU foreign policy director Catherine Ashton in an attempt to resolve the visa crisis, government sources said.
The European Commission has described Libya's decision to deny entry to citizens from the EU's Schengen area as "unilateral and disproportionate."
No official explanation was given for Tripoli's actions, but according to press reports it follows Switzerland's decision to ban more than 180 Libyan officials from its territory. Switzerland is not a member of the EU, but it is part of the Schengen area.