PRESS RELEASE

On the 11 October, the Ambassador of the Netherlands in Moscow, Ron van Dartel, visited the First European Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and submitted a copy of the note transferred earlier by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to the Ambassador of Russia in The Hague.

It contained an acknowledgement that the arrest and detention of the Russian diplomat, who has a right to personal diplomatic immunity, was a violation by the Kingdom of the Netherlands of its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. To that end, the Kingdom of the Netherlands apologises to the Russian Federation.

The note expressed a wish for further close contacts for a full clarification of this case in a spirit of mutual cooperation.

The Russian party clearly stated that we continue to await further related steps, in particular, the bringing to account of the Dutch officials, who committed the violations of international law acknowledged by the Dutch party.

11 October 2013