Czechs secure release of 2 aid workers in Syria

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – The Czech Foreign Ministry says the country’s diplomats have negotiated the release of two humanitarian workers for a German non-governmental organization who were arrested in Syria.

It says that Foreign Minister Jan Hamacek, who has travelled to Damascus, will take the two men to Prague aboard a government plane later on Thursday where they will meet the representatives of their countries’ embassies before travelling home.

Their nationalities have not been given.

The Czech Republic is the only EU country that still has an ambassador in Damascus.

The ministry says Hamacek also briefly met with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Moallem, to express his appreciation at the humanitarian gesture by Syria’s authorities.

The ministry would not give any other details except to say the two are in good shape.