Brussels, 04/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EU Presidency issued the following declaration after the release of Ms Davidovitch, one of the two members of the humanitarian organisation who were kidnapped in August 2002 in northern Caucasus:
"The EU welcomes with great relief the recent release of Ms Davidovitch, after six months of captivity. It recalls its statement of 26 August 2002 and following appeals, condemning the abductions of humanitarian aid workers Ms Davidovitch and Mr Erkel in the Northern Caucasus. The EU again calls for the immediate and safe release of Arjan Erkel of Médecins Sans Frontières, who remains in captivity after having been abducted on 12 August 2002, over five months ago. Kidnapping of aid workers can only aggravate the situation in the Northern Caucasus and worsen the humanitarian conditions. Finally, the EU welcomes the continuing efforts of the Russian authorities to ensure Mr Erkel's release so that he be reunited with his family and friends unharmed. The Acceding Countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the Associated Countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey and the EFTA countries, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration".