Greece promised Klimkin to release 26 arrested Ukrainian sailors to their homeland
The Prosecutor General of Greece promised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine that 26 Ukrainians - crew members of three foreign ships arrested in Greece - will soon be able to return to Ukraine, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
This was stated by the Deputy Director of the Consular Service Department - Head of the Consular Support Department Vasily Kyrylich, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.
“Our key request to the Greek side is to make final decisions and provide the opportunity for Ukrainian citizens - crew members of foreign ships arrested in Greece - to return to Ukraine. The Attorney General of Greece promised that decisions would not be delayed and would be swift. She emphasized that the crew members are not detained, therefore, after a decision is made regarding the cargo and the ships themselves, the crew members will be able to return to Ukraine,” Kyrylych said.
He clarified that we are talking about crew members of the ships Mekong Spirit, RC 300-97 and Andromeda, who cannot leave the territory of Greece until the completion of investigative actions and the adoption of final decisions.
Kyrylych noted that the Ukrainian side expressed concern and misunderstanding about why for a long time, in particular, in the case of RC 300-97 it is almost 15 months, and “Mekong Spirit” for 10 months, no decisions have been made on the matter, As a result, crew members cannot return to their homeland.
In particular, “Mekong Spirit”, owned by a Swiss company, was detained by Greek police on May 25, 2017 on suspicion of transporting military goods. Its crew members are 17 citizens of Ukraine, including the captain. Now, while the investigation continues, the crew members are on the ship, and the captain lives in Athens.
On the vessel RC 2016-300, detained in November 97, there are 7 crew members - citizens of Ukraine. According to Kyrylich, during a business trip to Greece, he visited the ship and saw that it was in unsatisfactory technical condition.
The crew members of the Andromeda vessel detained on January 6, 2018 are 2 citizens of Ukraine - the captain and his chief mate. Now, at the stage of pre-trial investigation, they are in one of the detention facilities in the city of Piraeus near Athens.
Kyrylych informed that during meetings with the Greek side, the issue of the possibility of granting our compatriots the right to travel to Ukraine with the obligation, if necessary, to appear at the Consulate General of Greece in Odessa, was discussed.
“This proposal has not been rejected, it is being developed. We hope that it will be considered in the context of making final decisions and the actual release of Ukrainian citizens who are in Greece,” said the Deputy Director of the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Greece promised Klimkin to release 26 arrested Ukrainian sailors to their homeland.