NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has been released from hospital. He was taken ill one week ago in Brussels while attending a ceremony to mark Belgium's national day.

A medical examination revealed that he was suffering from thrombosis, and he underwent an operation to clear a blood clot in an artery.

Mr De Hoop Scheffer, who was Dutch Foreign Minister in 2002-2003, is expected to resume work on Friday, his final day as NATO Secretary-General. He will be succeeded by former Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.