Havila Voyages has received a dispensation from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to operate Havila Capella for six months and the company said it would now continue to work with insurance of the ship.
“The exemption is granted in accordance with §21 of the regulations on restrictive measures regarding actions that undermine or threaten Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence, and stability. During this period, the Havila Voyages will continue its efforts to secure refinancing and change ownership of Havila Capella,” Havila Voyages said in a statement.
The ship and its sister vessels are scheduled to operate on the west coast of Norway between Bergen and Kirkenes and provide a vital link to the coastal communities along the way where the ships call.
A problem with insurance of the vessel arose as it had been financed by a Hong Kong company that is part of the Russian group sanctioned by western governments after Russian attack on Ukraine. Havila Voyages has said it is working on refinance of the ship.
“We are very happy that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given us a dispensation from the sanctions regulations. This means that the ship is now not sanctioned, since we do not operate in violation of any current regulations,” said CEO Bent Martini.
“We would like to thank our partners who have actively assisted us in this matter. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has been a great support to us, and the assistance we have received from the Norwegian Shipowners' Association has also been very useful to us. There are many who have turned around quickly and worked around the clock with this complex case related to the sanctions issue”.
The challenge Havila Voyages now faces is that some suppliers have treated Havila Capella as a sanctioned ship and announced termination of agreements entered.
“We expect that our suppliers will continue to provide us with support and service in line with our agreements now that the Norwegian authorities confirm that Havila Capella will not be sanctioned”, Martini says.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has in its reply letter emphasized that they have not taken a position on dispensation for insurance in the matter. Insurance of Havila Capella will require a special dispensation upon application from the insurance companies.
“With the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we hope for positive feedback from the insurance companies and that they apply for a dispensation. As we interpret it, it should be possible to get this dispensation”, says Martini.
“We fully understand that the insurance companies must make their own assessments, but we hope they will reinstate our insurance coverage to get Havila Capella sailing along the Norwegian coast as soon as possible”.
