Filenews 28 May 2022
The information that a Cypriot is being detained by the Iranian authorities after the seizure of two Greek oil tankers by the Revolutionary Guards is confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, expressing deep concern about the incident that took place yesterday, Friday, May 27th.
In statements to philenews, Dimitris Demetriou, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that this is a sensitive issue that the Cypriot authorities have been following closely since the very beginning.
As mentioned, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus is working closely with the Greek authorities and are taking the necessary steps to ascertain what exactly happened with the two ships. The Cypriot diplomatic services are also in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran for the better management of the consular issue that has arisen. Contacts are also ongoing, moreover, with our country's ambassador to Tehran.
As Mr Demetriou said, all the necessary steps are being taken.
He confirmed that the crew of the two ships, including the Cypriot citizen, are in good condition and that the Iranian authorities are treating them properly.
"We look forward to the next steps. It is a very serious incident and as such we are dealing with it", he pointed out.
Announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is deeply concerned about the incident that took place yesterday, Friday, May 27, in the Gulf, where two Oil tankers flying the Greek flag were reportedly seized in international waters by armed forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
The crew of one ship includes a Cypriot national.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in constant contact and coordination with the Greek authorities to manage the whole issue, including its consular dimension. In particular, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Tehran is making representations to the Iranian authorities for an immediate resolution of the whole issue. At the same time, we have contacted the family of the Cypriot sailor with whom we will remain in open communication.
In addition, the Ambassador of the Republic in Tehran has requested in the form of an urgent meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran to receive explanations and additional information about the incident, to be informed about the situation of the crew and specifically the Cypriot national and to request an immediate end to the hostage-taking.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the attack on the Greek tankers, which is a violation of international law as well as the rules of international navigation and calls for the immediate release of ships and crew.
