Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

Peter-Arjan Erkel, a Dutch national who was abducted on August 12, 2002, in Makhachkala, where he was staying as the head of the mission of the Swiss branch of Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, was freed on April 11, 2004.

All those months the Russia MFA together with competent federal agencies and organizations of Dagestan in close contact with the Dutch side had been taking all the necessary measures to free the Dutch national.

Today he arrived in Moscow and in the evening will leave for the Netherlands.

According to the Dutch side's preliminary data, Erkel is in a satisfactory physical and psychological state.

The Russian MFA would like to once again declare its strong condemnation and unacceptability of any acts of terrorism and hostage-taking. The world community needs by joint efforts to carry on the struggle aimed at the prevention of such barbaric acts.

The Russian MFA would like to voice satisfaction with the constructive cooperation with the Dutch side and in the first place with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Russia in solving this not easy humanitarian issue.

April 11, 2004