The Bulgarian government has still not managed to establish any contact with the Somali pirates who hijacked the Asian Glory ship with a 25-member crew including 8 Bulgarian sailors.

This has been announced Saturday afternoon by Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov.

However, Raykov has pointed out that the case is similar to any other instance in which Somali pirates hijack international vessels – the ship will be have to reach the Somali coast where it will be anchored, and only then the hijackers will initiate talks for the release.

Earlier on Saturday, Spokesperson of Bulgarian Foreign Minister Dragovest Goranov stressed the fact that the UK flagged ship Asian Glory has been kidnapped at an untypical distance off the Somali coast – 650 miles, which meant it would take 2-3 days for the ship to reach the Somali shore.

Asian Glory was transporting cars from Singapore to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia when it was taken over by the Somali pirates.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva announced in relation with the incident that the emergency headquarters at the Foreign Ministry for aiding Bulgarians who are in trouble abroad has been already been turned into a permanent institution.

Asian Glory is the second ship with Bulgarian sailors on board kidnapped by the Somali pirates in 5 days. On December 29, 2009, the UK tanker St. James Park was hijacked with 5 Bulgarian sailors on board. It is already anchored off the Somali coast, and its Russian captain has announced that the entire crew is in a good condition.

The captain of the newly-hijacked ship Asian Glory is a 32-year-old Bulgarian from Varna. Four of the other Bulgarian sailors are also from Varna, and the other three are from Shumen, Yambol and Velingrand.

On Saturday, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry announced emergency phone lines for the relatives of the Bulgarian sailors from the two ships hijacked recently by the Somali pirates on which they can receive the latest available information about their condition - +359 2 948 29 99, +359 2 948 22 51.

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