German government welcomes Lebanese forces' capture of refugee camp

Sep 3, 2007, 11:13 GMT

Berlin - The German government Monday welcomed the seizing of the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp by Lebanese forces and said this development would form a focus of talks this week in Berlin between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.

The capture of the camp, which had been under the control of Fatah al-Islam militants 'strengthens the sovereignty of Lebanon,' government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said.

'The German government has always backed the sovereignty, independence and multi-religious character of Lebanon,' he said.

'We have long condemned the attacks of Fatah al-Islam against Lebanese government troops,' Wilhelm said.

Seniora is to hold talks with Merkel in the German capital on Wednesday.

He is also to meet Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, who visited Syria last week.

Wieczorek-Zeul's spokesman said the minister called on Syria to back the 'full sovereignty of Lebanon and to play a constructive role in Middle East.'

Merkel has made the Middle East a central focus of German foreign policy.

Germany currently heads the naval part of the United Nations UNIFIL deployment in Lebanon, deploying ships off the country's coast to halt the smuggling of arms to the militant Hezbollah movement.