Three Azerbaijani vessels detained in Eritrea on November 7 of last year have still not been released, Caspian Marine Services B.V. told Trend.
The Marine Operations stated that regular communication is being maintained with the crew members aboard the Azerbaijani ships.
“Food is being provided to the crew, and they are staying in contact with their families,” the company’s statement said.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Aykhan Hajizada, in response to our agency’s request, said that negotiations with the relevant parties concerning the detained vessels are ongoing.
“There is no new information on this matter yet,” he added.
To note, on November 7, 2024, three vessels—”CMS “CMS Pahlavan,” “CMS İgid,” and “CMS-3,” sailing under the flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan and operated by the Azerbaijani branch of Caspian Marine Services B.V.—were forced to enter the territorial waters of the State of Eritrea due to worsening weather conditions during their journey to Abu Dhabi (the UAE) via the Suez Canal.
According to the Ministry, despite prior communication with the port authorities of the State of Eritrea during the vessels’ transit, the failure to provide the required information promptly led to the vessels’ entry into the country’s 12-mile territorial waters being considered unauthorized.
Consequently, Eritrean authorities detained the aforementioned vessels. The 18 crew members on board are all citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
