site.btaRelease of Two Bulgarian Sailors Was High-Stakes Issue, MEP Yoncheva Says

The release of the two Bulgarian sailors was a high-stakes issue for us and a message to all Bulgarians that they will not be abandoned wherever they are in the world, said MEP Elena Yoncheva Wednesday, who has been in Muscat, Oman for three days. "This was a high-stakes issue for all of us - their release, but also a strong message to all Bulgarian citizens that they will never be abandoned when they are in trouble anywhere in the world, regardless of the political situation", she stressed.

Yoncheva was contacted for comment on the release of the two Bulgarian sailors Lyubomir Chanev and Danail Veselinov. "We should be proud that we are Bulgarians and that our country Bulgaria is fighting for our dignity and life", she added.

On September 19, 2024, Yoncheva met with the two Bulgarians held by the Houthis. "After a long trip from the capital Sanaa to the port city of Al Hudaydah, I succeeded in seeing the two Bulgarians. We met outside the ship, in a room chosen by the Houthis on security considerations. We were accompanied by the President's Foreign Policy Adviser Abdullilah Hadjer. He assured us that the arguments and appeals to address the situation which I stressed are being heard, are taken seriously, and an early release is being considered," her press office said at the time.

The released Bulgarian sailors are expected to arrive in Muscat, Oman in the coming hours. "Yemeni authorities confirmed to me that our boys have been released and are on their way to Muscat", Yoncheva said. A Bulgarian delegation led by Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev is expected to arrive in Muscat this evening and will make a statement providing more details.

"The sailors had the tremendous courage to be imprisoned for more than a year and I think they withstood that ordeal", she said in response to a question about the sailors' condition.

Earlier on Wednesday, Al-Masirah television, cited by Reuters, reported that Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, more than a year after seizing the vessel off the Yemeni coast.