18 Azerbaijani citizens who were detained in Eritrea have been released and brought back to the country following long-term negotiations in line with the President’s directives.

Axar.az reports that the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed about this development.

It was stated that this was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, and the Closed Joint-Stock Company Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping.

Additionally, it was emphasized that during their time in Eritrea, the ship crew received consular support through Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Ethiopia, and necessary measures were taken to meet their needs.

We express our deep gratitude to the Turkish Embassy in Eritrea for its close support in this process, the statement said.

Notably, these individuals had been detained in Eritrea since November 7 last year. They were crew members of the ships CMS Pəhləvan, CMS İgid, and CMS-3, operated by the Azerbaijani branch of Caspian Marine Services B.V.