Sailors from ship seized in Nigeria to be able to return to Russia - ministry
MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax) - Russian sailors who served on a ship seized by Nigerian authorities in October will be able to return to Russia within days, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, citing the Nigerian government.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone to his Nigerian counterpart, Olugbenga Ashiru, on December 21, after which "the Nigerian leadership decided, according to the Russian Embassy in Abuja, to allow the 15 Russians - members of the crew of the ship Myre Seadiver, which was seized at the port of Lagos on October 19, - the opportunity to return to their country within the next few days," the ministry said in a statement.
"Currently, the Russian Embassy to Nigeria and the owner of the ship are together working on practical aspects for organizing their flight to Russia," it said.
"The decision of the Nigerian government, which, as was alleged, was motivated by a desire to sustain the friendly atmosphere of bilateral ties with Russia and by humanitarian considerations, is assessed in Moscow as a move in the right direction. At the same time, the future of the vessel itself remains a moot point: the ship is still being held on a Nigerian naval base under the pretext of the need to finish some kind of investigation, which has been going on for more than two months already. Meanwhile, no official grievances have still been brought against either the owner or the crew of the ship," the ministry said.
"The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to keep the matter under close control and will continue to press for its earliest possible and just solution," it said.
