There are currently 19 Latvian seafarers in the Persian Gulf region, the Ministry of Transport (SM) reported.
At the same time, no vessels using the Latvian flag are located in or near the Persian Gulf. The ministry noted that responsible institutions are closely monitoring the situation.
The ministry also informed that Latvia was represented this week at an extraordinary session of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held in London. During the session, participants discussed the situation in the Middle East and its impact on international shipping and seafarers.
More than 120 member states were represented at the session, including all 40 IMO Council members, as well as observers such as Latvia.
The ministry stated that the IMO Council strongly condemned threats and attacks against merchant and commercial vessels, as well as statements regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, referring to UN Security Council Resolution No. 2817.
The Council emphasized that such developments pose a serious threat to maritime safety,
the well-being of seafarers, and international trade. It called for a coordinated international response to security challenges, stressing the importance of respecting freedom of navigation and maritime rights in accordance with international law.
In his closing remarks, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stressed that inaction is not an option and that concrete steps are needed to protect seafarers and uphold the principle of freedom of navigation.
At the same time, the Seafarers’ Protection and Welfare Council called for the immediate cessation of all attacks on vessels that endanger civilian crews. Member states were also urged to ensure uninterrupted supplies of water, food, fuel, and other essential goods to ships currently unable to leave the region.
Countries were further encouraged to facilitate crew changes in line with international standards
to safeguard seafarers’ health, safety, and well-being.
The Council also stressed the need to ensure that seafarers can maintain communication with their families and that ships are adequately stocked. It called for the urgent establishment of a temporary safe maritime corridor to enable commercial vessels to exit the Persian Gulf safely.
The aim of such a measure would be to protect the lives of seafarers and ensure safe commercial navigation by preventing military attacks. The IMO Secretary-General has been tasked with immediately initiating the necessary steps to establish such a corridor in cooperation with the relevant parties.
Dominguez indicated his readiness to begin negotiations without delay on creating a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of ships and crews, emphasizing that its implementation will require concrete action and commitment from all involved states and stakeholders, the ministry said.
The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for maritime safety and security, as well as for preventing pollution of the marine and atmospheric environment caused by ships.
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