By IRNA
Berlin : German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier here Thursday confirmed the release of a German national who was abducted in Afghanistan a week ago.
"He is in the safe custody of ISAF troops," German television quoted Steinmeier saying.
The ex-German hostage who reportedly worked for a foreign company in Afghanistan, was on his way to Kabul after being kidnapped in the western Afghan province of Farah.
Kidnappers had initially demanded a 40,000 US dollar ransom for the release of the German man and his Afghan translator.
It is the first kidnapping case of a German citizen in war- stricken Afghanistan after the collapse of the Taliban regime in late 2001.
Germany has presently deployed around 3,000 forces in northern Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Some 35,000 ISAF troops are currently based in Afghanistan.
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