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French, German, Finnish FMs to Go to Manila on Hostage Crisis
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine will to go Manila on Thursday with German and Finnish foreign ministers to seek a solution to the hostage crisis in which 40 people, including five French nationals, are held by Muslim rebels in the southern island of Jolo, said the French Foreign Ministry Wednesday.
``The Minister Hubert Vedrine has announced that he will go to Manila with his German and Finnish counterparts. The three ministers will make a point of the situation of the hostages directly with the Philippine authorities on the site,'' said the foreign ministry in a communique.
The three ministers will urge the Philippine authorities to intensify negotiations with the hostage-takers in order to obtain the release of all hostages safe and sound as soon as possible, it said.
They will also ask the Philippine authorities to keep open the`` humanitarian corridor'' allowing the transport of food and medicines to the hostages, it added.
In a joint statement made earlier Wednesday with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer in Miyazaki, Japan, where they was attending a meeting of Group of Seven most industrialized countries, Vedrine said that he will urge the Philippine authorities not to do anything which could endanger the life of the hostages.
Vedrine, Fischer and Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will meet with Philippine President Joseph Estrada and Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon and will give a press conference before leaving Manila.
The French Foreign Ministry said on Monday that three journalists of a four-member crew of the television channel France 2 were believed to have been kidnapped when they were reporting news from Jolo.
Some local residents of Jolo said they saw two French journalists riding in a jeep in the company of four gunmen believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebel group.
The other 37 other hostages, including two other French nationals,were taken hostage 12 weeks ago and have been living in captivity since then.
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