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Montenegro returns sailors from Barbados

Published on: May 29, 2020 • 6:30 PM Author: PR Service
A plane from Barbados landed in Podgorica today, transporting 320 sailors from the countries in the region who were sailing on the ships of the sister companies "Royal Caribbean" and "Celebrity Cruises". Among them are 143 Montenegrin, 25 Albanian, 37 Bosnian, 89 Croatian and 26 Serbian sailors.

Regarding allegations published today in some Serbian media that "15 Montenegrin sailors were arrested at Podgorica airport", State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior and Head of the Operational Staff for the implementation of activities related to the return of Montenegrin citizens from abroad Dragan Pejanović said that during the flight some passengers did not respect flight rules.

So, there was the use of alcohol and cigarettes, about which the crew informed the police. After landing, the police, in cooperation with the crew, identified 13 citizens, of which four are Montenegrin citizens, four are Croatian citizens, four are citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and one is a citizen of the Republic of Serbia. Those people were brought to the police station at the airport, where they were interviewed, and statements were taken from the flight attendants, who said that these citizens did not follow the rules that apply when flying. There were no visible injuries on the flight attendants, nor did they indicate any type of physical contact, except for non-compliance with the rules that apply during the flight. Our citizens went to quarantine, and 177 citizens of the countries in the region were transferred by bus to the border crossings with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania - said Pejanović.

Acting Director General for Consular Affairs and Diaspora in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Branislav Karadžić said that the organisation of this charter flight from Barbados to Montenegro is the result of intensive negotiations between the Embassy of Montenegro in Washington and "Royal Caribbean", with the support of the MFA on behalf of the Operational Staff, and competent Montenegrin institutions, including Airports and Montenegrin health system. "The fact that Montenegro is recognised as a "Corona Free" destination has contributed to the decision of the company that organised this flight to choose Podgorica as the final landing destination for sailors from neighbouring countries for which unhindered transit is provided by the Government of Montenegro, as well as free transportation to the borders of neighbouring countries. This is a victory for Montenegrin diplomacy, which has made great efforts to organise this flight. "

Montenegrin sailors from "Royal Caribbean" and its "Celebrity Cruises" branch sailed on 39 ships, which have been anchored in a number of ports across North and Central America since the outbreak. We also remind that Montenegro, along with Croatia as an EU member, is the only country in the region that participated in the joint request of European countries to American institutions to ease the conditions for disembarking sailors from ships of this and other companies.

Karadžić emphasised that the Government, through the Montenegrin diplomatic and consular network, coordinated the return of 267 Montenegrin sailors from over 70 ships anchored in American ports. In the next few days, as he said, the return of the remaining thirty sailors is planned.


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