German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has warmly thanked the Libyan President, Colonel Moamer Kadhafi, and the Libyan authorities for helping obtain the release of the Philippines hostages.
In a statement on the television channel ZDF late Sunday, Schroeder said: "Great thanks are certainly due to the Libyan government and the foundation headed by the son of the Libyan president," Seif Islam.
"They contributed largely to making this outcome possible."
"I can say that without the intervention of Mr Kadhafi and that of his son and this foundation, it would indeed not have been possible."
The Muslim rebel group Abu Sayyaf on Sunday released three French nationals, a South African and a German among the hostages the rebels have been holding on the island of Jolo.
In an interview with the German news weekly Focus, Seif Islam said his help had been solicited by the former coordinator of the German secret services, Bernd Schmidbauer, who worked for ex-chancellor Helmut Kohl --BERLIN (AFP)
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