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Sat, May 26 2012
Bulgarian Navy may send frigate to the Gulf of Aden
The Bulgarian Navy is contemplating deploying the Druzki (Daring) frigate to the Gulf of Aden in an attempt to boost the international task force currently entrusted with keeping international waters free from pirate attacks.
This was revealed by Bulgarian Navy Rear Admiral Plamen Manoushev in Varna on January 4, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported.
Reportedly, the frigate is mobilised and ready for deployment – the only obstacle remains financial support.
"We made an assessment of the situation. If the frigate is deployed for a two-month period, then one month of that time would be taken up with the round trip to the Gulf while, for the other month, she would be on active patrol service. This could cost up to six million leva," he was quoted as saying.
About two to three million leva would be necessary just for the frigate to reach its destination.
"The issue is the availability of necessary financial resources, and not the readiness of personnel," the Rear Admiral said.
The action follows the hijacking of a second UK-flagged ship, Asian Glory, with Bulgarian crew members on board. The vessel was reportedly ferrying cars off the Somali coast. She was boarded by pirates late on January 1 2010.
This was the second case in five days of a ship managed by Zodiac, a British company with an office in Bulgaria, being seized by Somali pirates.
St James Park, a chemicals tanker, and its crew of 26 were sailing to Thailand from Spain with a chemical used to make plastics when it sent a distress signal from the Gulf of Aden on December 28 2009. Five of its crew members are Bulgarian.
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raikov, quoted by the Focus News Agency on January 4, the Asian Glory is expected to anchor on the same day thereby enabling negotiations to be launched for the safe return of the crew.
"All Bulgarians are in good health, according to information released in the past 24 hours," Raikov said.
Raikov specifically outlined that in such circumstances, governments do not pay ransoms.
"Governments have a crucial role in keeping the seas safe from pirate attacks. Assuming that those who control the sea lanes also control global trade, then the pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden are really a geopolitical threat to world peace," Raikov said
This was revealed by Bulgarian Navy Rear Admiral Plamen Manoushev in Varna on January 4, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) reported.
Reportedly, the frigate is mobilised and ready for deployment – the only obstacle remains financial support.
"We made an assessment of the situation. If the frigate is deployed for a two-month period, then one month of that time would be taken up with the round trip to the Gulf while, for the other month, she would be on active patrol service. This could cost up to six million leva," he was quoted as saying.
About two to three million leva would be necessary just for the frigate to reach its destination.
"The issue is the availability of necessary financial resources, and not the readiness of personnel," the Rear Admiral said.
The action follows the hijacking of a second UK-flagged ship, Asian Glory, with Bulgarian crew members on board. The vessel was reportedly ferrying cars off the Somali coast. She was boarded by pirates late on January 1 2010.
This was the second case in five days of a ship managed by Zodiac, a British company with an office in Bulgaria, being seized by Somali pirates.
St James Park, a chemicals tanker, and its crew of 26 were sailing to Thailand from Spain with a chemical used to make plastics when it sent a distress signal from the Gulf of Aden on December 28 2009. Five of its crew members are Bulgarian.
According to Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raikov, quoted by the Focus News Agency on January 4, the Asian Glory is expected to anchor on the same day thereby enabling negotiations to be launched for the safe return of the crew.
"All Bulgarians are in good health, according to information released in the past 24 hours," Raikov said.
Raikov specifically outlined that in such circumstances, governments do not pay ransoms.
"Governments have a crucial role in keeping the seas safe from pirate attacks. Assuming that those who control the sea lanes also control global trade, then the pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden are really a geopolitical threat to world peace," Raikov said
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