The Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Russian Federation has held a meeting with representatives of the competent authorities of Finland and Sweden in connection with the situation that has arisen around the MV Arctic Sea.

From Russia the meeting was attended by representatives of the General Investigative Office and the Office of international legal cooperation of the Investigative Committee of the Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Russian Federation.

Representatives of foreign law enforcement offices thanked for organizing the meeting and praised the professionalism of their Russian colleagues during a rescue operation to release the Russian citizens captured during the hijack of the Arctic Sea. In addition, they informed that Malta, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia signed a five-party agreement on a unified investigative team for the investigation of this incident. Prosecution of persons guilty of piracy, hijacking and kidnapping of crew members, except those eight arrested, will be carried out by each of these countries on its territory.

During the meeting, mutual understanding was reached regarding the situation with the vessel Arctic Sea and an algorithm for further joint action by countries participating in the investigation was worked out.