Cargo Ship Alaed Obtained Russian Flag

26.06.2012 Cargo ship MV Alaed which tried to deliver helicopters Mi-25 repaired by Russia to Syria has hoisted Russian flag in Murmansk port.

The ship entered the Kola Bay flying the flag of Curacao; re-flagging was carried out in Murmansk port on Sunday, specifies Interfax.

The port authorities said they were not aware of the further route of the ship and duration of her stay in Murmansk. According to Vzglyad, it was reported about coming change of the flag in advance.

Being not allowed to deliver Russian-repaired helicopters to Syria by British authorities, dry cargo ship MV Alaed had to move back to the Kola Bay.

Then came official statement of the ship's owner FEMCO that MV Alaed was in the Murmansk port waiting for further instructions from a freighter; so far, Vladivostok is still the ship's destination port.

"Notice is hereby given by FEMCO company to all clients and partners that MV Alaed has successfully reached the port of Murmansk on June 24 at 8.00 am (local time) and anchored off the port pending further instructions of the freighter on the readiness of additional cargo for embarkation", the post on the company's website says.

Commercial nature of the shipping was also said in the statement:

"Being purely commercial organization, FEMCO also informs that MV Alaed is on commercial voyage on the basis of a time charter tied with a Russian state-led company and in accordance with legally issued bills of lading which set Vladivostok as a destination port".

"Having no intentions to comment recent statements of Russian officials about nature of cargo and its purpose, neither FEMCO nor shipmaster of MV Alaed have not received any instructions from the freighter regarding changes in the route or the destination port", the company's website says.

"FEMCO is concerned over excessive political load on this commercial voyage, a media boom around the ship, and recent sanctions against the shipowner. FEMCO, however, is by no means a cargo owner but only a forwarder and, according to international law, is not liable for the nature of cargo and its description in shipping documents", the document says.

The company confirms that insurance of MV Alaed was annulled by the Standard Club British protection and indemnity association.

"As long as the club has no documentary evidence of the armaments on board carried to Syria, the insurance was annulled on the basis of recommendations of the UK special services", the FEMCO reports.

The company states that "a number of partners, including the long-standing ones, also decided at least to suspend cooperation". "In particular, such decision was made by well-known British audit company Moore Stephens (its affiliate in Vladivostok) which has been co-working with FEMCO since its incorporation. Despite the fact that the affiliate is registered in Russia and trade in accordance with Russian laws, the decision was made due to media reports and instructions of the London's head office", says the company's report.

"Having a commercial shipping contract tied with FEMCO, United Nordic Shipping A/S (Copenhagen) has also broken off ties due to 'recommendations' of Danish special agencies", reports the freight forwarder.

"In these conditions and in order to protect its interests and provide security to the ship and her Russian crew, FEMCO decided to place the ship under jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, so the ship will change the flag for the Russian one", explained the company.

Meanwhile, a military diplomatic source in Moscow earlier told Interfax that MV Alaed would leave Murmansk for Syria. As for the source, the vessel was supposed to be escorted not by a Russian Navy's ship. On Friday, a military diplomat in Moscow also said that Alaed would head for Syria under Russian flag. To avoid "unpleasant situations" could be then justified as "pirates or sea environment", the ship will be provided with an escort.

Russian defense ministry in its turn suggested that in the future Russian arms must be delivered to Syria only by Russian-flagged vessels and under escort of Russian warships.

Recently, Russia was involuntarily drawn in the international scandal inspired by the US State Secretary Hillary Clinton. Shortly after her statement that Russia was supplying Syria with arms by-passing UN sanctions – which was confirmed incorrect even by the Pentagon – the Russian ship was found off Scotland carrying helicopters to Syria.

Despite the fact that the helicopters were not new ones but vamped under an old contract not coming within the UN sanctions, British underwriters by government's direction annulled insurance of the Alaed's owner; that fact aroused harsh reaction of Moscow. On Friday, June 22, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov declared that Russia would not apologize to the US for implementation of defense contracts with Syria.