Dutch foreign ministry apologizes to Russia over arrest, detention of diplomat

Published January 13, 2015

The Netherlands has issued an apology to Russia over the arrest and detention over the weekend of a Russian diplomat by police in The Hague.

Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans says in a written statement Wednesday that an investigation has established that the arrest of Dmitry Borodin late Saturday was a breach of the Vienna Convention that regulates diplomatic relations between nations, including diplomatic immunity.

For the breach, "the state of the Netherlands offers the Russian Federation its apologies," the statement says.

However Timmermans also says he "understands" the action of police officers who arrested Borodin — a statement unlikely to appease Russian demands for action against officers involved.

The statement adds that the two countries "remain in talks" about the situation.

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