Ukraine questions India’s Black Sea advisory, seeks ministerial call
KIEV : Ukraine has questioned India’s maritime safety advisory for the Black Sea and said its request for a telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remains unanswered, as 13 Indian seafarers remain stranded aboard MV AMIR1 at Chornomorsk port.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi drew attention to what it called differing levels of protection in two recent advisories issued by the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA). While the July 15 advisory for the Strait of Hormuz directed shipping companies to avoid deploying Indian seafarers on vessels transiting the area, the July 23 Black Sea advisory stopped short of a similar instruction despite repeated missile and drone attacks on civilian shipping that have killed Indian seafarers.
“Such a comparison raises serious questions as to whether the measures recommended for the Black Sea correspond to the level of risk faced by Indian seafarers,” the embassy said. It added that Ukrainian authorities were providing all possible assistance to the 13 crew members aboard MV AMIR1 and remained in close contact with the Embassy of India in Ukraine.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said it had accorded the “highest priority” to the situation and was in constant touch with concerned authorities to ensure the safety of the crew.
The Ukrainian Embassy also endorsed an appeal by the Forward Seamen’s of India seeking stronger safeguards for Indian seafarers in high-risk maritime zones.
