The PANTELENA vessel with 17 Georgian sailors on board has safely returned to the port of Lomé, – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the regarding information.

According to ministry, on August 24, the ship PANTELENA, with 17 Georgian sailors on board, returned safely back to the port of Lomé,(Togo republic). The Georgian side has contacted with the vessel crew, which is provided with the basic needs (drinking water, food and etc) and their lives and health are not in danger.

“According to the ship’s captain, an armed attack was carried out on the ship crew in the Gabon territorial waters, after which the ship was seized. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Maritime Transport Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia have conducted coordinated work in different directions in the last 10 days and to ensure that all parties are involved in the search operation. All sectoral and diplomatic leverages have been enacted. The Embassies of Georgia in South Africa, Great Britain and Ethiopia, ensured involvement of about 10 states in the process the Maritime Transport Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia has established active contacts with the ship owner company, with the ship’s flag state – Panama as well as with special marine security groups in Kenya and Nigeria.

The vessels of navy forces acting in the West Africa (Portugal, England and France) as well as satellite surveillance systems were used in the search operation. As a result of these coordinated actions, the vessel was identified on August 23. The Agency provided the updated information to the sailors’ families time by time. The Government of Georgia remains in contact with the ship PANTELENA and expresses its readiness to provide the assistance to the Georgian sailors in case of necessity, “- the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.