Azerbaijan has sent a note to Eritrea regarding the three ships sailing under the flag of Azerbaijan and their crews, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan, Aykhan Hajizada, told APA.

"On November 7, 2024, the vessels CMS Pahlavan, CMS Igid, and CMS-3, operated by the Azerbaijani branch of the company Caspian Marine Services B.V. and sailing under the state flag of Azerbaijan, had no choice but to enter the territorial waters of the State of Eritrea due to deteriorating weather conditions while en route from the Suez Canal to the city of Abu Dhabi (UAE)," Hajizada said.

According to him, although prior contact was made with the port authorities of the State of Eritrea, it was not possible to provide information. After entering the 12-mile territorial waters of the State of Eritrea, the relevant authority of the State emphasized that the entry was unauthorized, and the mentioned vessels were detained.

"Among the crew members on the listed vessels, 18 are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Hajizada added.

He said that Azerbaijan sent a note to Eritrea, through the Azerbaijani embassies in Ethiopia and Russia, stating that the entry into Eritrean territorial waters does not contradict international legal norms.

"Relevant meetings were held at the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Eritrea’s embassies in Türkiye and Moscow. Efforts are ongoing to resolve the issue, secure the release of the vessels and crew, and provide necessary consular and legal assistance,” the Azerbaijani MFA official emphasized.

Each ship had six Azerbaijani sailors, with a total of 18 crew members, the press secretary of the State Maritime and Port Agency off Azerbaijan, Parvana Imanova told APA.

According to her, the Agency is also in regular contact with the Azerbaijani branch of the Caspian Marine Services B.V. company, which owns the ship.

"The ships are supplied with food and other necessities on time, and relevant assistance is provided for communication between the crew and their families," Imanova noted.