Abducted Lithuanian, Ukrainian seamen released

Pirates have released two Lithuanian and two Ukrainian seamen abducted near Nigerian shores almost a month ago, the Lithuanian government announced on Friday.

According to Rimantas Vaitkus, deputy chancellor of the Lithuanian government, the seamen are under medical care in Nigeria and their general health condition is fine. The Lithuanian foreign affairs ministry has been trying to get in touch with them.

The Lithuanian government was informed about the release by the owners of the stormed ship, a Russian shipping company, which had been conducting negotiations with the pirates. The government wasn't informed about the details of the negotiations or whether ransom had been paid.

"This is confidential information which can be used by others, and that's why it cannot be revealed," Vaitkus told Lithuanian national radio LRT.

"However, this was a routine process," said Vaitkus, noting that intermediaries had been involved in negotiations between the pirates and the shipping company. Vaitkus emphasized that the Lithuanian government hadn't conducted negotiations with abductors.

In his words, the main task was to get the seamen out of Nigeria.

"While in Nigeria, they're not safe, and we need them to fly to a country that we can control," said Vaitkus. He expected the seamen to return to Lithuania next week.

The captain of the ship, his assistant, and two seamen were abducted at the end of October by Nigerian shores when the ship was entering Port Harcourt.

The ship was sailing under the flag of the Comoro Islands. There were 16 Lithuanian seamen on the ship.

Lithuanian seamen have been abducted at least three times close to African shores in the past six years; all have been released. Endit