Iran to Play Significant Role in Future Prisoner Exchanges Between Hezbollah and Israel: European Diplomats

European diplomatic sources stressed that after completion of the second stage, reaching an agreement on prisoner exchanges will be a key issue with political repercussions in the region.

Germany is in contact with the United States on this issue, the report said.

Fuad Butrus, the Lebanese foreign minister at the time when four Iranian nationals were kidnapped, said in an interview that he had made inquiries about their fate but could not get satisfactory information because of the troubles and difficulties created by the security situation at that time.

He is not sure if the kidnapped Iranian nationals are still in Lebanon or are in Israel.

He was rueful about his inability to cut through the ambiguity of this issue and expressed hope that the fate of the four kidnapped Iranian nationals would be discovered soon.

Al-Mostaqbal pointed out that Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi’s visit to Lebanon was a positive step at the outset of the second stage of the prisoner exchange between Hezbollah and Israel.

The Lebanese daily also referred to German Ambassador to Beirut Rudolf Kenz’s announcement regarding the secrecy of the second stage after his meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Jan Obeid in Beirut.

Kenz stated that the main factors contributing to the successful exchange in the first stage were secrecy and precaution.

Al-Mostaqbal added that during his visit to Lebanon Kharrazi met with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Lebanese Foreign Minister Jan Obeid, and the general secretary of Hezbollah, Sheikh Seyyed Hassan Nasrollah.

Kharrazi is also scheduled to participate in a press conference on Friday.

JH/DWN/HG

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MNA