No Talks Yet for Bulgarian Sailors Release

A handout photograph dated 09 November 2009 shows the UK-flagged tanker St. James Park. According to media reports on 29 December 2009 the ship has been seized in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates while on its way to Thailand from Spain. Photo by EPA/BGN

No contact has yet been made with the pirates who hijacked the UK chemical tanker St. James Park on Monday, along with 26 crew including 5 Bulgarians, it emerged on January 1.

Varna-based company Zodiac, who hired the 5 Bulgarians, were expecting the negotiations with the pirates to start late on December 31 when the ship docks off the coast of Somalia.

The Bulgarians on board have been identified as Svetozar Tenev, Emil Djankov, Nikolay Kolev, Stefan Angelov, Ivaylo Rusev. Four of the sailors are from Varna, the fifth is from Ruse, Bulgarian National Radio confirmed.

On Thursday, John Harbour, the spokesman for the European Union's anti-piracy force, stated that the negotiations for the release of the hijacked tanker will be difficult because of the number of different nationalities of the crew.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!