ODESA, JUNE, 2nd, 2009, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE – Today, 2 June, at 15:00 Odesa Governor, Nikolay Serdyuk is to meet M/V Ariana crew members’ families, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Mr. Serdyuk stated it today, 2 June, talking to journalists.

“The seafarers’ families addressed me for help asking to write letters to the Premier and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and to accept them as well. So today at 15:00 I have a meeting with the seafarers’ families in the presence of MFA Representative in Odesa Oblast. The problems that we can solve on the regional level we will be solving. But coordinated actions of the Premier, the MFA and the Ministry of Transport are required to release our 24 nationals as soon as possible…”, — the Governor said.

As Context-Prichernomorie reported before, M/V “Ariana” flying the flag of Malta was captured by the Somali pirates at night of 2 May near the Seychelles having onboard 24 Ukrainian citizens. The operating company “Seven Seas Maritime London” is registered in Britain. The ship was manned by Ukrcrewing (Odesa, Ukraine).