West’s interference with freedom of navigation causes concern — Lavrov

MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Recent Western actions against freedom of navigation are causing concern, with European states detaining 12 vessels since January of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"The recent increase in interference with freedom of navigation is concerning. European states have detained 12 vessels since January this year based on made-up categories unknown to international law, such as the so-called 'shadow fleet' and others. They stop vessels on suspicion that they lack a ‘nationality,’ without any legitimate grounds, claiming that the vessels are supposedly sailing under false flags," the foreign minister said at an embassy roundtable on the settlement in Ukraine.

Lavrov also pointed out that vessels genuinely operating under false flags in the interests of European states are not subjected to such "inspections." "Europeans find no grounds to detain vessels carrying oil to European consumers, regardless of the vessel or flag," the foreign minister explained. "But when vessels serve the interests of Russia and our partners, European authorities immediately instruct their ambassador in the country whose flag the vessel flies to contact its foreign ministry or presidential administration after detaining a vessel. They demand that the country withdraw its consent for the vessel to fly its flag, thereby getting what they want. They do this because they generally provide some form of assistance to the countries concerned and threaten to cut off that assistance. Through such coercion, they revoke a lawfully granted flag and continue their unscrupulous activities."