The Diplomat
The Government of Gibraltar yesterday denied that it is acting with “connivance” in relation to the transfer of Russian oil between ships in areas close to the Strait and assured that the protocols of the Gibraltar port are “stricter” than those established by the European Union or the United Kingdom.
In a statement, Fabian Picardo’s government says that, since January 2013, it has prohibited its port operators and service providers from providing any kind of assistance to ship-to-ship transfers in what it considers to be territorial waters, requiring express permission to move yokohama booms and other equipment.
According to the statement, this permission is only granted “in exceptional circumstances, where both the Master of the Port and the Minister are satisfied that this equipment will not be used for STS (‘ship to ship’) operations”, including in international waters.
It also assures that, from the beginning of March 2022, the Gibraltar port will not allow access or provide services to ships flying the flag, registered or carrying goods from Russia or sanctioned persons. Nor, it adds, is service provided to vessels whose port of origin or destination is Russia.
The Gibraltarian authorities point out that, on the other hand, Russian-owned vessels continue to request access to European ports and that Morocco has “no sanctions” against Russia.
In the case of the oil tankers that had allegedly refuelled in Gibraltar before carrying out operations in international waters off Ceuta, the Government of the Rock argues that these ships were flying the flag of third countries and there was no indication of any interest or relationship with Russia, so that, “according to the applicable protocols, there was no reason to deny them service”.
