Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that one of the problems in the negotiations for the release of the two kidnapped Israeli soldiers in Lebanon is the demand for Hizballah to return them alive.
In a meeting with the chairman of the political party Meretz, Yossi Beilin in New York, Annan said he hopes until the end of the year it will be possible to complete this subject positively. Annan updated Beilin stating that German mediators are intensively working to release the two Israel Defense Forces soldiers.
Annan also said that part of solving the problem is dismantling Hizballah aid used for weapons. Annan estimates that directing Syrian President Bashar Assad to agree to a full peace with Israel is desirous. Beilin said he is hopeful that a Palestinian government will be established in the near future which Israel and the world would agree to.