Austria refused to pay any ransom for the releasing of the two Austrian tourists, who were kidnapped in Tunisia on Feb. 22, Austrian negotiator Anton Prohaska on said Wednesday.
Kidnappers linked to al-Qaida have set a 5-million-euro ransom on the two Austrian tourists while demanding the release of 10 members of the terrorist group jailed in Tunisia and Algeria.
Prohaska was appointed by the Austrian government as negotiator and sent to Bamako, the capital city of Mali on Tuesday.
The situation of this affair was "very complex and delicate" and "the Austrian government does not engage in ransom deals of any sort ... that is our position," he said through a telephone interview with media, according to Austria Press Agency (APA).
However, he also said that he was working hard and wanted to bring a happy end to this affair and he was in close contact with his friends in Mali and trusted that they could help.
According to a questionnaire survey by the Austrian daily newspaper Kurier on Tuesday, more than half of the people believed that the two Austrian "self do, self have," due to their violation of the local travel regulations in Tunisia.
The two Austrian tourists, Andrea Kloiber, 43, and Wolfgang Ebner, 51, were held now in Mali. The original deadline of releasing has been extended.
Source:Xinhua
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