Taliban holding two French aid workers hostage in southern Afghanistan have called for the withdrawal of French NATO troops and the freeing of imprisoned militants in exchange for their release, in a statement on their Web site.
The statement, published on Friday, demanded the "French government withdraw its soldiers from Afghanistan in one week" and called on the Kabul administration "for a rapid response with regard to an exchange of prisoners."
Around 1,000 French troops are deployed in the Kabul region as part of the NATO force.
Paris said on Friday night it was analyzing the demands, the first to be made publicly.
"We have taken note of the instructions which figure in the Taliban Web site. We are analysing them," said French foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei. "We will not make any other comments."
The release of the statement two days ahead of today's first round of the French presidential election sharply increases the pressure on Paris to find a solution to the hostage crisis.
The two hostages, from the Terre d'Enfance (A World For Our Children) charity, were identified only as Celine and Eric.
They were seized in the southwestern province of Nimroz on April 3 along with three Afghan colleagues.
Authorities say the five hostages were then transferred to neighboring Helmand Province, a Taliban stronghold.
In a videotape message broadcast a week ago, the two French hostages said they feared for their lives and urged the French government to give in to the kidnappers' demands.
Paris has in recent days stepped up diplomatic efforts to secure their freedom.
Senior French diplomat Philippe Faure met this week with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and conveyed Paris's strong desire to secure the freedom of all five hostages as soon as possible, said Mattei.
French President Jacques Chirac telephoned his Afghan counterpart on Thursday to discuss their fate.
The Taliban made similar demands ahead of the release of the kidnapped Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo.
Karzai has said that his government will not make any more hostage deals with the rebels following the controversial freeing of five rebels last month in exchange for Mastrogiacomo's release.
The deal sparked outrage as the Italian journalist's Afghan driver and interpreter were beheaded. The killings were filmed. Mastrogiacomo was seen urging Rome to "do something."
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