Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova

Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović sent a letter to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda

Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović sent today, 24 August 2005, a letter to the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Indonesia, Hassan Wirayuda, concerning yesterday’s attack by members of the Indonesian military forces on the unarmed Croatian merchant ship Mirna and the forced detention of the crew members, all Croatian citizens

Grabar-Kitarović expressed the deep concern and incredulity of the Croatian Government as well as the entire Croatian public at yesterday’s actions by members of the Indonesian armed forces and their seizure of the Croatian ship.

She reminded of the dire implications of that act and the decision by the Indonesian court reached in May this year for the Indonesian Navy to escort the ship to international waters, which has not happened. Minister Grabar-Kitarović also pointed out that it is necessary to pay attention to the economic and political, but most of all humanitarian aspect of the whole situation, bearing in mind the welfare of the crew members.

The minister requested an immediate release of the crew, the allowance for the ship to reach international waters, and asked for the guilty parties to be sanctioned accordingly.

An employee of the Croatian Embassy to Jakarta visited the ship and ascertained that the captain and the crew are alright.



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