On Monday, Osama Rabie, the head of the Suez Canal Authority, affirmed the authority's commitment to successfully concluding negotiations with the owner of the Panamanian container ship EVER GIVEN and the insurance company. He expressed a willingness to explore all possible means of cooperation to reach agreeable solutions for all parties involved. Rabie voiced hope that recent discussions would lead to a quick agreement, especially given the significant facilities provided by the authority in appreciation of the long-standing relationship with the ship's owning company, and in understanding the surrounding circumstances due to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic on the shipping industry.
He explained that the Egyptian authority is dealing with all negotiation requirements flexibly, while fully adhering to international norms in such cases. Rabie stressed that reports regarding the alleged arrest of the ship’s crew, which ran aground and blocked navigation in the canal for six days weeks ago, are untrue. He clarified that the authority does not oppose the crew leaving or being replaced, as long as there is a sufficient number of sailors to secure the ship, considering that the ship's captain remains onboard as the judicial guardian of the vessel and its cargo.
It is worth noting that the authority responded positively to all requests made by the ship's owning company regarding the crew, including allowing two crew members to leave the ship and return to their home country due to personal emergencies.
