FRANCE: RUSSIAN "TALL SHIP SEDOV " CAUGHT IN LEGAL STORM BETWEEN MOSCOW AND SWISS COMPANY NOGA TRADING

Record ID: 647747

  • Title: FRANCE: RUSSIAN "TALL SHIP SEDOV " CAUGHT IN LEGAL STORM BETWEEN MOSCOW AND SWISS COMPANY NOGA TRADING
  • Date: 17th July 2000
  • Summary: BREST, FRANCE (JULY 16, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. LV/SLV SHIP NAMED SEDOV MOORED/MV FLAGS FLYING ON SHIP (5 SHOTS) 0.21 2. SOUNDBITE (English) UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN SAILOR SAYING: "If I'm not mistaken, it's problem not for Russian ship but for Russian government. Russian government must pay France some money and people from Sedov must settle this problem, but it's not problem for Sedov it's problem for Russian government" 0.46 3. MV PEOPLE WALKING/ SLV SMALL SAILING BOATS (4 SHOTS) 1.06 4. SOUNDBITE (French) CHAIRMAN OF 'BREST 2000' YANICK MICHEL SAYING "It's a story which hurt our heart, which is very sad, this story mixes economic interests with fun. I believe all the sailors are shocked by this story". 1.27 5. MV /SCU RUSSIAN SAILORS SELLING RUSSIAN GOODS (8 SHOTS) 2.15 6. SCU SHIPS FLAGS; MV TALL SHIP SEDOV;SCU TOURISTS LOOKING ON' SLV SHIP IN HARBOUR (5 SHOTS) 2.40 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BREST, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAC9G3UXXO8SHHD6H649IM53HJA
  • Story Text: A Russian 'tall ship' berthed in France is caught in
    the eye of a legal storm between Moscow and a Swiss company.

    A French court has impounded the Sedov in Brest at the
    request of the Noga trading company, which says the Russian
    government owes it 800 million U.S. dollars.

    Billed as the largest tall ship in the world, the
    four-masted Sedov is carrying a party of 15 schoolchildren and
    100 young students among its 176-strong crew.

    The decision to impound the boat infuriated Moscow, which
    said that the incident risked worsening already cool
    Franco-Russian relations.

    On Saturday (July 15), a court in Brest ruled that the
    boat could take part in an international sailing festival off
    the French coast as planned, but the judge said a French naval
    officer should travel aboard the vessel to ensure it did not
    try to flee.

    The Russians initially refused the request, but by Sunday
    (July 16) a compromise solution was hammered out.

    Sailors questioned said the problem was for the Russian
    government to resolve, not the Sedov crew.

    The organiser of the Brest 2000 sailing regatta, Yannick
    Michel, said itwas a pity that such an issue had arisen.

    The Noga trading company is seeking immediate payment of
    63 million dollars as down payment on money it says Russia
    owes it for oil-for-food deals in 1991 and 1992. Moscow
    disputes the claim.

    Company lawyers have persuaded the French courts to freeze
    the bank accounts of Russian diplomatic missions in France and
    sought a seizure order against the Sedov as soon as it docked
    at Brest.

    The 117 metre-long (390 feet) boat is owned by a Russian
    university and its officers say it cannot be held accountable
    for the alleged government debts.

    A French court will rule on the matter on July 21 and has
    said the Sedov must be in port for the hearing.


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