Schroeder aide quits in caviar row

Caviar tantrum put pressure on the German Chancellor

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's top foreign policy adviser has resigned after he insulted German soldiers and demanded caviar on a flight from Moscow.

Michael Steiner had a row with three German soldiers stationed in Moscow on 2 November, when Mr Schroeder's plane was delayed for refuelling on the last day of a tour of Asia.

Michael Steiner: Influential in Schroeder's inner circle

Mr Steiner allegedly called the soldiers "arseholes" and demanded that they served him caviar during the delay.

A spokesman for the government confirmed on Tuesday that Mr Schroeder had accepted Mr Steiner's resignation.

Mr Schroeder "regretted the decision and thanked Michael Steiner for his always loyal... and engaged co-operation in difficult times," Uwe-Karsten Heye said.

'Joke'

The 52-year-old foreign policy adviser, who had been seen as a very influential figure in the German establishment, said he was sorry for any offence caused.

We'd been on our feet for more than 20 hours... we were dog tired after the long tour of Asia... we wanted to go home

Michael Steiner

"At no time did I want to personally attack or insult you or other members of staff," Mr Steiner wrote to the soldiers involved, the tabloid Bild Zeitung reported.

Mr Steiner said that he had been exhausted after a long tour, and the demand for caviar had been a joke.

"We'd been on our feet for more than 20 hours... we were dog tired after the long tour of Asia... we wanted to go home," the newspaper quoted him as writing.

Despite Mr Steiner's protest that he did not want any caviar, other people on the trip reported that a buffet including caviar had been served in the Moscow VIP lounge while the Schroeder entourage was waiting.

Mr Schroeder has been under strong pressure from the media and from opposition politicians to sack Mr Steiner.

Mr Steiner has also been criticised for apparently leaking information about sensitive talks between Mr Schroeder and US President George Bush earlier this year.