Negotiating with the Somali pirates who hijacked the Cyprus-flagged vessel “MV Eagle” on Monday is not an option, stated the Department of Merchant Shipping. The Department is responsible for handling the case.
The bulk carrier was attacked and hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, south of Oman, en route to India. Director of the DMS, Sergios Sergiou, told CNA that the official response by the government, and the usual practice in piracy cases, is not to negotiate for ransoms. He added this would encourage pirates and lead to similar additional incidents.
Sergiou said that there are no Cypriots or Greeks amongst the crew, which comprises solely of Filipino nationals. He added that the Cypriot government is already in touch with the Philippino government.
(source: cna)
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
