CAIRO: The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said Monday it was showing “full flexibility” in compensation talks with the owner of the Ever Given container ship, which got stuck in the strategic waterway earlier this year and disrupted global trade.
Osama Rabie, who heads the authority, told a delegation from India’s embassy in Egypt that the SCA would spare no effort in ensuring the negotiations’ swift success.
The talks are continuing despite an ongoing legal dispute with the ship’s Japanese owner, Shoei Kisen, over the vessel’s seizure by the authority.
The delegation was discussing joint coordination with the SCA and following up on the condition of the Indian crew onboard the impounded ship, which is being held in the waiting area of the Great Lake in Ismailia.
The delegation was allowed on board the ship to check on the crew members, said the SCA.
Rabie said the authority had been keen on providing all means of cooperation for the crew since the beginning of the crisis.
He praised the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, pointing out the “pivotal role” that India played in the global economy.
The Indian consul thanked the SCA for all the facilities being provided to the crew.
The SCA has responded to all the requests made by the ship owner regarding the crew, including allowing two members to leave the 200,000-ton cargo vessel and return to their country for personal emergency reasons.
Rabie rejected rumors that the crew had been detained, saying they were free to leave or be replaced as long as the captain stayed on board as the guardian of the vessel and its cargo.
The ship ran aground on March 23 and was refloated on March 29 by Egyptian tugboats and diggers, with the assistance of the tide.
