The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has taken actions to help release the Diamond Way ship that has been held at Jebel Ali port in the United Emirates of Arab  for more than two months because of debts.

The ministry’s spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi yesterday told Tuoi Tre that the ministry has sent a document to UEA’s concerned agencies and the ship’s owner, Vinashinlines, a subsidiary of the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), asking for help in returning the ship and its 19-member crew to Vietnam as soon as possible. Currently, concerned agencies of Vietnam and UEA are coordinating with Vietnam’s Embassy in UEA to settle the issue, Nghi said. As earlier reported by Tuoi Tre, UEA's National Shipping Services LLC (NSS) said it has no other choice but to detain the ship since Vinashinlines has not cleared its debts. NSS has also kept all personal papers, including passports, of the crewmembers. Meanwhile, Vinashinlines has not paid salary to crewmembers. It has not supplied any food, fresh water, or fuel to them for months, either, Than Anh Duc, captain of the Diamond Way, told Tuoi Tre on October 9.

Duc said he has sent three reports since September 1 to the company asking for emergency aid but has received nothing so far. “The living conditions of our 19 crewmembers are very poor. We have had to fish at the port for our meals although the port authority bans us from doing so," the captain said. Yesterday, Duc told Tuoi Tre via phone that on the night of October 10, Vietnamese Ambassador to UEA Tran Ngoc Thach paid a visit to the crewmembers and gave them US$300 as initial support. “With this amount, we can live for 4 more days,” Duc said, adding that the ship’s owner has not conveyed any regards to the crew. Do Duc Tien, deputy head of the Maritime Department, said the agency has proposed that the foreign ministry’s Consular Department give financial support to the 19 crewmembers.