Germany may assist in negotiations for the release of IDF soldiers.
By JPOST.COM STAFFjp.services1(photo credit: )
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told her German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday that as long as the two IDF soldiers were not released, Hizbullah was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Livni also demanded the enforcement of the embargo on Hizbullah saying, "so long as this is not carried out, Hizbullah can rearm and remains a tangible threat to the region."
Danish lawmaker wants Livni detained
Germany expressed hope for the release of the two soldiers captured by Hizbullah, a senior official said, but stopped short of confirming that Berlin was directly negotiating for their freedom.
While visiting Germany and Denmark, Livni also met with German intelligence chief Ernst Uhrlau and Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss the implementation of the Security Council resolution.
Asked on ZDF television why Livni was meeting Uhrlau, German deputy foreign minister Gernot Erler said the talks would include efforts to free the soldiers, whose capture triggered the recent fighting in Lebanon.
"It is well known that Germany has possibilities ... to help free these captured and kidnapped Israeli soldiers," Erler said.
"There are also earlier cases and experiences that we can use, and therefore it is sensible that these three partners are available for talks with Mrs. Livni," he said.
Asked whether that meant that Germany was already actively mediating for the soldiers' release, Erler said, "There's an old rule that if you can mediate successfully, you don't make details public.
"We all hope for a success and therefore shouldn't press for every detail to be made public in advance," he said.
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