05 January 2011, 22:30
Families of seamen captured by Somalia pirates demand meeting with Saakashvili
Relatives of Georgian seamen who stay in captivity of Somalia pirates demand a meeting with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
"If the state fails to help us, we'll not be able to raise the money needed for ransom by charitable concerts only," said the relatives.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that to save 15 Georgian seamen captured by Somalia pirates more than three months ago, Georgia has raised about 12,100 US dollars instead of 1 million demanded by pirates as ransom.
According to relatives of the captives, nobody is now negotiating with pirates - neither the lawyers of the ship-owning company, nor the Foreign Ministry of Georgia. Relatives assert that their several attempts to meet President Saakashvili were fruitless, the "Georgia-Online" reports.
Earlier, Nino Kalandadze, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, said that any Georgia's negotiations with Somalia pirates, who demand ransom, were impossible. "It is physically impossible to set such contacts. But we still hope that the ship owner, with whom we keep in touch, will be able to provide additional information and begin talks with pirates," said Ms Kalandadze.
According to her story, "responsibility for consequences is just on the ship owner, who had made a risky sea voyage without having his vessel and the crew duly insured," the RBC reports.
