Havila Voyages has received a dispensation from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to operate the Havila Capella for six months.
According to a statement, the company will now continue to work with insurance of the ship.
During this period, the Havila Voyages will continue its efforts to secure refinancing and change ownership of Havila Capella.
“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.
“Even though we had expected and hoped for a positive solution, it is very good to get the confirmation that Havila Capella has not been sanctioned,” he continued. “Havila Voyages is a Norwegian company, and our ships sail under the Norwegian flag. This decision by the authorities gives us security for the future.”
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 added.
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.
“Havila Voyages will continue to work actively for refinancing Havila Capella to get a change of ownership, with the aim of finding a solution before the dispensation period expires,” said Martini.
“Our goal is for the ship to be 100% owned by Havila Kystruten Operations AS, with a different financing solution than the one we have today. Until that is settled, the ship will return to route as soon as possible, for us to carry out our social mission which is to operate the classic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes.”
