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world news Diaranson 31 Maart 2021

With ship now freed, a probe into Suez Canal blockage begins

(AP) — Experts boarded Ismailia to praise those who
the massive container ship freed the vessel.
Tuesday that had blocked Speaking to a small group
Egypt’s vital Suez Canal of reporters on a dock over-
and disrupted global trade looking the waterway, el-Sissi
for nearly a week, seeking deflected questions about the
answers to a single ques- investigation, saying Egypt
tion that could have bil- would not interfere in a
lions of dollars in legal probe that will be left to “the
repercussions: What went specialists.”
wrong? “We want to confirm to all
the world, that things are
As convoys of ships again back to as they were,” he
began traveling through the added. He stood before a sign
artery linking the Mediter- that said: “Welcome to the
ranean and Red Seas, a canal Suez Canal: Egypt’s lifeline
service provider said more of peace, prosperity and de-
than 300 vessels carrying ev- on condition of anonymity then determine that it’s safe a day in maritime commerce. velopment.”
erything from crude oil to because he was not autho- to sail either by itself or with Analysts expect it could take On Monday, a flotilla of tug-
cattle were still waiting for rized to talk to journalists, a tug escort to the next port,” at least another 10 days to boats helped by the tides,
their turn in a process that told The Associated Press he added. clear the backlog — though wrenched the bulbous bow
will take days. Egyptian gov- that experts were looking for The ship’s owner, Shoei Egypt’s president said Tues- of Ever Given from the ca-
ernment officials, insurers, signs of damage and trying to Kisen Kaisha Ltd., said Tues- day it would take just three. nal’s sandy bank, where it
shippers and others similarly determine why the vessel ran day that it would be part of The losses to shippers, as had been firmly lodged. The
waited for more details about aground. the investigation along with well as any physical damage tugs blared their horns in ju-
what caused the skyscraper- There could be significant other parties, though it did to the vessel itself, likely will bilation as they guided the
sized Ever Given to become damage to the the ship, Kon- not identify them by name. see lawsuits. Ever Given through the wa-
wedged across the canal on rad warned. Stuck for days It also refused to discuss pos- Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. is ter after days of futility that
March 23. across the canal, the ship’s sible causes of the grounding, covered with some $3 billion had captivated the world,
When blame gets assigned, it middle rose and fell with including the ship’s speed in liability insurance through drawing scrutiny and social
will likely lead to years of liti- the tide, bending up and and the high winds that buf- 13 Protection & Indemnity media ridicule.
gation to recoup the costs of down under the tremendous feted it during a sandstorm, Clubs. Those clubs are not- The Ever Given had crashed
repairing the ship, fixing the weight of some 20,000 con- saying it could not comment for-profit mutual insurers into a bank of a single-lane
canal and reimbursing those tainers across its 400-meter on an ongoing investigation. used by the vast majority of stretch of the canal about 6
who saw their cargo ship- (quarter-mile) length. On Initial reports also suggested global shipping firms. kilometers (3.7 miles) north
ments disrupted. Since the Monday, when workers par- a “blackout” struck the ves- Global legal firm Clyde and of the southern entrance,
vessel is owned by a Japanese tially floated the ship, all that sel, something denied by the Co. said the Ever Given’s near the city of Suez. That
firm, operated by a Taiwanese pressure came forward to its ship’s technical manager. owner likely would pay forced some ships to take the
shipper, flagged in Panama bow. “Structural integrity is The company added that Egypt’s canal authority for long, alternate route around
and now stuck in Egypt, mat- No. 1. You know, there was a any damage to the ship was the assistance already ren- the Cape of Good Hope at
ters quickly become an inter- lot of strain on that ship as it believed to be mostly on its dered to the vessel. The au- Africa’s southern tip — a
national morass. was sagging in the waterway,” keel. It said it was not im- thority also could fine the 5,000-kilometer (3,100-mile)
“This ship is a multinational Konrad said. “They have to mediately known whether Ever Given. detour that costs ships hun-
conglomeration,” said Capt. check everything for cracks the vessel will be repaired on “We anticipate a detailed in- dreds of thousands of dollars
John Konrad, the founder and particularly that rudder site in Egypt or elsewhere, vestigation will follow which in fuel and other costs.
and CEO of the shipping and the propeller in the back or whether it will eventually will determine the cause,” The unprecedented shut-
news website gcaptain.com. that’s connected to the en- head to its initial destination the firm said. ”Evidently the down, which raised fears
Experts boarded the Ever gine room.” of Rotterdam. That is a deci- cause will impact upon the of extended delays, goods
Given as it idled Tuesday in “And then they have to go sion to be made by its opera- legal liabilities of the ship and shortages and rising costs for
Egypt’s Great Bitter Lake, through all the mechanical tor, rather than the shipown- cargo interests.” consumers, added to strain
just north of the site where it equipment, make sure they er, the company said. Egyptian President Abdel on the shipping industry al-
previously blocked the canal. test the engines, all the safety The grounding of the ship Fattah el-Sissi traveled Tues- ready under pressure from
A senior canal pilot, speaking valves, all the equipment, and had halted billions of dollars day to the canalside city of the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan, Indonesia sign arms transfer pact amid China concerns

(AP) — Japan and Indone- “It has become difficult to tempt to change the status
sia signed a pact on Tues- take for granted the premises quo by force” and agreed on
day allowing the trans- that have supported the peace the importance of observing
fer of Japanese defense and prosperity of the interna- a rules-based maritime order
equipment and technol- tional community,” Japanese and respect for international
ogy to Jakarta as the two Foreign Minister Toshimitsu maritime laws, Japan’s For-
countries strengthen their Motegi said in opening re- eign Ministry said in a state-
military ties in the face of marks at the talks. ment.
China’s increasingly asser- Motegi and Defense Min- “Together we will maintain
tive activity in the region. ister Nobuo Kishi and their and strengthen a free and
Indonesian counterparts, open maritime order,” Kishi
The agreement came dur- Retno Marsudi and Prabowo said at a joint news confer-
ing “two plus two” security Subianto, also agreed to ac- ence after the talks. He said
talks among the foreign and tively participate in multina- the two countries will speed security talks in which they killings of pro-democracy
defense ministers of the two tional military exercises and up a decision on the details of condemned Chinese “coer- protestors by the Myanmar
countries, which share con- jointly develop remote is- Japanese exports of defense cion and aggression” toward military, agreeing to closely
cerns about China’s grow- lands in the South China Sea. equipment to Indonesia. its neighbors in Asia. cooperate in efforts to im-
ing influence and territorial The ministers “shared grave The security talks come two The Japanese and Indonesian prove the situation in that
claims in the East and South concern over the continua- weeks after Japan and its key ministers also shared (aster- country.
China seas. tion and escalation of an at- ally, the United States, held isk)serious concern” over the