The Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow
Photo: Aleksei
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Russian Min. Touts Role in Hezbollah Deal
The return to Israel of the bodies of two soldiers and the freeing of five Lebanese prisoners by Israel was made possible by a reduction of tension in the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced. “We view those exchanges as an important humanitarian event in line with the demands of the world community, including UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701 encouraging a reduction in the level of tension in the region,” stated official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko. He said that the exchanges show that “constructive dialog, not confrontation, allows results to be attained in the interests of the civilian population of the Middle East.”
Nesterenko continued that “All these months, Russia, led by high humanitarian considerations, has energetically established contact with the government of Israel, Hezbollah and influential regional parties to make that exchange possible. The sensitive topic was discussed constantly during working meetings of Russian representatives at ministerial or higher levels. Naturally, not all of those contacts were publicized. In Moscow, we are satisfied that Russia has genuinely helped find a mutually-acceptable solution to these complex problems.”
On June 16, a humanitarian exchange between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah under the egis of the UN. The bodies of two soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, were handed over to the Israeli side. They had been taken prisoner in 2006. The Israelis released five Lebanese prisoners and handed over to Hezbollah the remains of about 200 people. Nesterenko’s statement was posted on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
www.kommersant.com
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