Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that three vessels - "CMS Pəhləvan," "CMS İgid," and "CMS-3," sailing under the Azerbaijani flag and operated by the Azerbaijani branch of Caspian Marine Services B.V. - were forced to enter the territorial waters of the State of Eritrea on November 7, 2024 due to worsening weather conditions during their journey to Abu Dhabi via the Suez Canal.
According to the ministry, despite prior communication with the port authorities of Eritrea during the vessels' transit, the failure to provide the required information promptly led to the vessels' entry into the country's 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," the statement reads.
Following the initial report of the incident, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took control of the situation.
The legal justification that entering Eritrean territorial waters did not violate international law was communicated to the Eritrean side through our embassies in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Russia.
"Work is ongoing to resolve the issue, secure the release of the vessels and crew, and provide necessary consular and legal assistance," the statement reads.
The Caspian Marine Services B.V. company said that the captains tried to contact Eritrean security and coast guard authorities via international VHF-16 channels to notify them of their entry but received no response.
"Currently, the document preparation process for completing the checks and releasing the vessels is nearing completion. The company's authorized representatives maintain continuous close contact with the vessel crews, and there are no issues with food supply or other logistics," the company said.
