Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers meet for first time in Italy

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen held a meeting with his Libyan counterpart in Italy last week, although the two countries do not have diplomatic relations, a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry said on Sunday. The meeting between Mr Cohen and Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush was reportedly organised by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani. No formal diplomatic agreement has been made between Libya and Israel throughout the history of both countries. Ms Mangoush belongs to Libya's Tripoli government, which is led by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibeh, known for his closeness with Italy. Libya might also face a crisis with its neighbouring countries of Tunisia and Algeria, whose foreign policies reject any kind of normalisation or formal relations with Israel.