Govt in touch with ship owners to push for release of sailors

The Ministry of External Affairs,with the Shipping Ministry and Indian Navy,are making all efforts,including putting diplomatic pressure on the vessel owners,to secure the release of 53 Indian sailors held captive by Somali pirates aboard five foreign ships. It is also working with the Law Ministry to come up with a new anti-piracy law that takes into account existing international maritime rules and regulations.

According to senior government officials,India’s envoy to Egypt and its Consul General in Dubai have particularly sought intervention of the respective governments to push the Cairo-based owner of Panamian flag carrier MV Suez and Dubai-based Yemeni owner of Panamian flag carrier MV Iceberg. Both ships have on board six Indians each. The other three ships seized by Somalian pirates with Indians are: MT Asphalt Venture (Panama flag),MT Savina Caylyn (Italy flag) and MV Sinin (Panama flag). The management of the last three ships is based in India.

It is partly due to South Block’s intervention with the local governments to expedite negotiations between the ship-owners and the pirates that 21 Indian nationals held on merchant ships were released in 2008,24 in 2009,56 in 2010 and 13 in 2011.