Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer appealed on Friday to Al-Qaida's North Africa wing to release two Austrian tourists but said he had no intention of yielding to the hostage-takers' demands.

"Our priority is the health of the hostages. Hence we appeal to the kidnappers to free the hostages unconditionally," Gusenbauer told reporters on arrival for the final day of a EU summit in Brussels.

Gusenbauer said he would raise the issue for discussion at the summit.