22:00, 11 November 2010

Georgia asks IMO for help in freeing captured sailors

Vera Kobaliya, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, met in London with the heads of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and asked for help in saving the Georgian sailors, for more than two months kept by Somalia pirates.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 8 Somalia pirates captured the ship named "Oilb G" in the Gulf of Aden, sailing under the flag of Malta. There were 15 Georgia and three Turkish nationals on board. The negotiations on the amount of ransom, conducted by the Greek ship-owning company "Frio Ventures", have stalled because pirates did not agree to reduce the sum thereof.

Family members of captured sailors claim that the hostages are kept in deplorable conditions, without water and food, the IA "News-Georgia" reports.

On November 9, relatives and friends of the hostages held another protest action in Batumi and demanded more energetic actions from the Government of Georgia towards releasing them, the "Georgia Online" reports.