The Change of Route of the Ship Borkum
The Borkum ship, which is carrying a cargo bound for the Czech Republic and had planned to make a stop in Cartagena, has modified its route. Instead of stopping in Cartagena, it has been reported that she is heading directly to Slovenia and then transporting the cargo to Prague.
The shipowner of the freighter has informed the Maritime Captaincy about this decision. Initially, the ship was anchored at Cape Tiñoso, in the waters of Cartagena, waiting to dock at the Escombreras terminal. However, she has finally chosen not to make this stopover and head to Slovenia.
Permissions and Disputes
The cargo ship had authorization to make a stopover, since its cargo was not destined for Israel, despite doubts raised by pro-Palestinian associations. This led to requests to the State Attorney General’s Office to prevent the Borkum from docking in Cartagena.
The Government had also received complaints to detain the cargo ship upon its arrival at the port and verify if it was transporting weapons destined for Israel.
Decisions and Foreign Policy
The owner of the ship, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, decided not to make the stopover despite having all the documentation in order. From the waters of Cartagena, she heads to the Slovenian port to later transfer her cargo to the Czech Republic.
The Government had denied a stopover permit to another merchant ship, the Marianne Danica, which was transporting military rocket engines bound for Israel. According to the 2014 ministerial order, it is up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to grant such authorization.
Position of the Spanish Government
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, announced that the Government’s policy will be to reject any ship that transports weapons to Israel and seeks to stop at a Spanish port.
Albares affirmed that the decision to reject the Marianne Danica stopover is consistent with the policy of not granting new export licenses for war material destined for Israel.