India Coordinates with Russia Over Detained Tanker Crew Near Paradip: MEA
India is in regular touch with the Russian Embassy over the welfare and repatriation of Russian crew members aboard the detained Unity oil tanker near Paradip Port in Odisha, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. The tanker, which is currently stationed close to Paradip Port, was detained pursuant to an order of the Odisha High Court.
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, emphasized that India is aware of the incident and has been in regular touch with the Russian Embassy. He also clarified that the detention of the tanker was carried out as per the orders of the Honourable High Court of Odisha. Furthermore, Jaiswal assured that the repatriation of the Russian crew is being taken care of.
The Cameroon-flagged Unity has remained under detention since May following an Odisha High Court order in connection with a commercial dispute involving alleged unpaid bunker fuel dues. The vessel is anchored around 10 km off the coast of Paradip.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) Involvement
According to the ILO’s joint ILO-International Maritime Organisation (IMO) database on abandoned seafarers, the Unity has been recorded as an abandonment case involving Russian seafarers. The database states that the vessel was under arrest at Paradip, with outstanding wages and repatriation pending.
The ILO-IMO database also records a July 16 communication from the Russian Consulate General in Kolkata, which stated that the employment contracts of the Russian seafarers had expired, substantial wage arrears remained outstanding, and the crew had remained on board beyond their contractual period while awaiting repatriation. The Consulate reported that the tanker likely had 23 crew members, including 20 Russian nationals, one Kazakh citizen, and two Egyptian citizens.
Repatriation Efforts
A fresh court hearing on the repatriation of the crew has been scheduled for September 21. The Russian Consulate General in Kolkata urged all concerned parties to complete the crew relief and repatriation process without further delay. It also requested the Directorate General of Shipping and the Mercantile Marine Department, Kolkata, to extend necessary assistance to ensure the early repatriation of the Russian crew members and payment of their outstanding wages.
The ILO has issued guidelines for dealing with cases of seafarer abandonment, including the need for port States, flag States, and States of which seafarers are nationals to address such cases and safeguard the rights and welfare of abandoned seafarers.
Original Article: India in touch with Russia over crew of detained tanker near Paradip: MEA — Business-Standard