BEIRUT: The seven Estonians kidnapped three months ago are still alive, Tallinn's foreign minister said Tuesday after holding talks with senior Lebanese officials.

"On the basis of analyses and pieces of information have gotten, we can say that our people are alive," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told The Daily Star. "We can be satisfied completely only with this investigation only when the seven Estonian citizens are back home."

Paet, who undertook his third visit to Beirut since the seven men were snatched from their bicycles by armed assailants on the outskirts of Zahle on Mar. 23, also voiced his country's willingness to negotiate with the kidnappers.

"I would like to urge [the kidnappers] to stop this, to release the seven Estonian citizens," he said. "If they want to communicate then all communication channels are open...with the goal of solving this issue."

Paet met with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Army Commander Jean Kahwaji, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour in the first talks concerning the abduction with new government representatives.

Mikati told the visiting Estonian government delegation that the new government is following up on the case of seven Estonians kidnapped in Lebanon in March.

During the meeting, which took place at the Grand Serail, Mikati told the delegation that the new government was "following up on the kidnapping of the seven Estonians.”

“This issue is one of the security forces’ top priorities,” Mikati said, expressing his "willingness to put all the data in the possession of investigators at the disposal of the Estonian authorities," and cooperate with the Estonian security services in any way possible on the case.

Paet said it was regretful that the Estonians’ fate has not been determined even after his third visit to Lebanon over the past three months. However, he also said Estonia was “satisfied with the level of cooperation between the Lebanese authorities and the Estonians,” in remarks to reporters after the meeting, adding that “we hope, with the formation of the new government, to continue this effective cooperation in other fields.”

“Our main goal is the release of our kidnapped citizens so they can be able to return to their country,” he added.

Paet refused to answer a question about whether there were any new leads into the Estonians’ kidnapping.

“We do hope that through the work of the intelligence and security services that we will be able to reach results,” he added.

In response to a question about the possibility of whether the hostages were still being held in Lebanon or have been taken to Syria, Paet said: “It's hard to say. But it is important to maintain cooperation with the authorities in other countries in the region, including Syria.”

The Estonian men, all in their 30s, were kidnapped on March 23 after entering Lebanon on a bicycle tour from neighboring Syria. The case remains shrouded in mystery.

Several people have been arrested in Lebanon in connection with the case but there is no clear evidence as to who ordered the kidnapping or where the men are.

The victims appealed for help in two videos posted on the Internet in April and May. The first was uploaded in the Syrian capital Damascus, investigators said, leading to speculation that the men had been moved across the border.

The previously unknown group Harakat al-Nahda wal-Islah (The Movement for Renewal and Reform) has claimed responsibility for the abduction but is yet to issue demands