Nicosia: A Russian ship that made an unscheduled stop in Cyprus while carrying tons of arms to Syria was technically violating an EU embargo on such shipments. But the vessel was allowed to continue its journey Wednesday after changing its destination, Cypriot officials said.
The cargo ship, owned by St Petersburg-based Westberg Ltd, left that Russian port on Dec 9 for Turkey and Syria, which is 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Cyprus, the officials said.
Russia and Turkey are not members of the European Union, so such a route would not have violated the embargo the bloc imposed to protest Syria's crackdown on the uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule.
Nicosia: A Russian ship that made an unscheduled stop in Cyprus while carrying tons of arms to Syria was technically violating an EU embargo on such shipments. But the vessel was allowed to continue its journey Wednesday after changing its destination, Cypriot officials said.
The cargo ship, owned by St Petersburg-based Westberg Ltd, left that Russian port on Dec 9 for Turkey and Syria, which is 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Cyprus, the officials said.
Russia and Turkey are not members of the European Union, so such a route would not have violated the embargo the bloc imposed to protest Syria's crackdown on the uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 20:45