Germany’s foreign and development aid ministers are making an unannounced visit to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi for meetings with rebels.
The Foreign Ministry said Guido Westerwelle and Dirk Niebel stopped in Benghazi on Monday as they travelled to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
It said the ministers were meeting representatives of the rebels’ Transitional National Council with a view to deepening relations and underlining German support for building new state structures.
Mr. Westerwelle also is inaugurating a new German liaison office and handing over medical aid for hospitals in rebel—held areas.
Germany isn’t participating in NATO air strikes on Libya and abstained in the U.N. vote authorizing a no—fly zone. However, it has called for Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi to go.
