 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) -- The Russian ship Terney, detained by North Korean border guards December 5, may soon leave the country's territorial waters, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saturday. "The talks that the Russian consul general to Chongjin is holding with local authorities in the North Korean port of Kimchaek on the release of the Russian ship Terney... are nearing completion. We have grounds to believe that soon the ship will be allowed to leave North Korea's territorial waters," Mikhail Troyansky said. The Terney was returning to the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok from the South Korean port of Busan when it encountered a heavy storm in the Sea of Japan December 5. According to the ship's log, the captain changed course toward the North Korean coast after receiving permission from local authorities to enter the country's territorial waters. But North Korean authorities detained the Russian vessel regardless. Articles Related to the Detained Russian Ship: ** Russian
Ship Detained by N. Korea Arrives at Port for Probe Russian
Ship Detained by N. Korea
Andrei Makeyev, a spokesman for ship-owner Ardis, said the Terney's crew was following the recommendations of the Russian transportation and foreign ministries to head for the port pending investigation in the presence of Russian diplomats. "There are no representatives of the North Korean authorities aboard," he said. The crew is waiting for Russian diplomats and the beginning of the investigation into the incident, scheduled to take place in the presence of the Russian consul general in the port of Chongjin. The Terney was returning to the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok from the South Korean port of Busan when it encountered a heavy storm in the Sea of Japan December 5. According to the ship's log, the captain changed course toward the North Korean coast after receiving permission from local authorities to enter the country's territorial waters. But North Korean authorities detained the Russian vessel regardless. N. Korea Requires Inspection of Detained Russian Ship
Yevgeny Valkovich, Russia's consul general in the port city of Chongjin about 200km (124 miles) from Kimchaek, said that he, as a foreigner, would not be allowed onto the Terney ship because it was in a restricted zone. Valkovich said the captain had not agreed to the demands of the North Korean authorities, but added that the ship's owner, the Ardis company, had not yet responded. Andey Makeyev, the head of the Ardis navigation department, said earlier that the captain had received official permission to enter North Korea's territorial waters. "The permission was entered in the ship's log," Makeyev said. The Terney was returning to the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok from the South Korean port of Busan when it encountered a heavy storm in the Sea of Japan on December 5. The captain changed course toward the North Korean coast after receiving permission from the local authorities. Despite the current situation, Makeyev remained positive. "There is enough food, water and fuel on the ship, and the crew is well," he said. "We are in touch with them." He also said that Russian diplomats and the Union of Russian Ship Owners were working toward securing the ship's return to Vladivostok under the International Law of the Sea. Russian Ship Detained Off N. Korea
Andrey Mikeyev, a top manager of the Ardis navigation company, said the Terney was traveling to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East, from the South Korean port of Busan, but had to veer off its course to avoid a heavy storm. The ship and 14 crewmembers were detained and convoyed off to the nearest port. "The frontier guards did not isolate the crew or seal off the radio room, so we are retaining contact," Mikeyev said. "There is sufficient fuel, water and food on the ship." Russian diplomats are trying to establish direct contact with the crew or the frontier guards, the Russian consulate general said. |
