Three vessels sailing under the flag of Azerbaijan were detained in Eritrea along with 18 Azerbaijani citizens last November. They are still being held in the African country, but diplomatic efforts are being made to free the citizens and the vessels, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
‘On 7 November 2024, the vessels ‘CMS Pahlavan’, ‘CMS Igid’ and ‘CMS-3’, operated by the Azerbaijani branch of Caspian Marine Services B.V., and sailing under the Azerbaijani state flag, were forced to enter the territorial waters of Eritrea due to deteriorating weather while passing through the Suez Canal to Abu Dhabi (UAE)Y,’ the Foreign Ministry told Turan.
During the passage of the vessels, an attempt was made to establish communication with Eritrean port authorities but failed.
The vessels and their 18 crew members were detained on charges of illegally entering Eritrean territorial waters within the 12-mile zone.
After the incident was reported on 7 November 2024, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry took diplomatic steps to release the vessels and Azerbaijani nationals.
Notes were sent to the Eritrean side through the Embassies of Azerbaijan in Ethiopia and the Russian Federation that the vessels' entry into the territorial waters of Eritrea was not contrary to international legal norms.
In addition, relevant meetings were held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Eritrea and its Embassies in Turkey and Moscow.
Work on the release of the vessels and crews, as well as the provision of the necessary consular and legal assistance, is ongoing, the Foreign Ministry said.
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