On November 7, 2024, the vessels “CMS Pehlevan,” “CMS Igid,” and “CMS-3,” sailing under the state flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan and operated by a branch of the Caspian Marine Services B.V. company in the Republic of Azerbaijan, were forced to enter the territorial waters of the State of Eritrea due to deteriorating weather conditions while traveling from the Suez Canal to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Axar.az reports that this was stated by spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Aykhan Hajizada.

According to him, although prior contact was made with the port authorities of the State of Eritrea, it was not possible to provide information. After entering the 12-mile territorial waters of the State of Eritrea, the relevant authority of the State emphasized that the entry was unauthorized, and the mentioned vessels were detained.

"Among the crew members on the listed vessels, 18 are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Following the receipt of initial information regarding the incident on November 7, 2024, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through working procedures, we immediately responded, and the matter was taken under control.

To undertake necessary measures, a legal justification with a relevant note stating that the entry into Eritrean territorial waters does not contradict international legal norms was conveyed to the Eritrean side via our embassies in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Russian Federation. Relevant meetings were held at the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Eritrea’s embassies in Turkiye and Moscow.

Efforts are ongoing to resolve the issue, secure the release of the vessels and crew, and provide necessary consular and legal assistance,” the Foreign Ministry official emphasized.