Countries overlooking Red Sea to hold piracy meeting
The Source: www.sabanews.net - 19/11/2008
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At the Consultative Meeting of the countries overlooking the Red Sea to
begin on November 20 in Cairo, Yemen will put forward proposals on the
main topics of the meeting including the security, legal and economic
dimensions of the piracy phenomenon, deputy Foreign minister said.
Upon
departure at the head of a Yemeni delegation for the meeting, deputy
Foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs Ali Muhammad al-Ayashi
said the meeting will tackle the issue of piracy and armed attacks on
merchant vessels and shipments off Somalia's coast and in international
waters in the Indian ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
Egypt called
the meeting amid efforts initially launched by Yemen and other regional
states to have a common position by the countries overlooking the Red
Sea to prevent the spread of the piracy to the Red Sea, al-Ayashi said.
He made clear that the meeting is expected to affirm that
protection of the sea is the responsibility of the countries
overlooking it.
" We, the participants, will be careful to
rally Arab efforts to bring in the Muscat and Dar Es Salaam meetings'
proposals which were produced under the sponsorship of the
International Maritime Organization in an effort to finalize a
memorandum of understanding for fighting piracy which would be the
regional suitable framework of cooperation." Al-Ayashi said.
The
meeting will raise the issue of establishing the regional center for
sharing information on piracy events in the Red Sea and the Gulf of
Aden that would be established in Yemen.
Piracy has recently
surged off Somalia's coast and near the Gulf of Aden threatening one of
the world's most important waterways linking Asia and Europe.
More
than 30 vessels have been Hijacked this year, the latest of which was a
Saudi oil vessel carrying 2 million barrels of oil which was seized two
days ago.
The pirates, usually Somali ones, demand ransoms and sometimes they realize their goal.
Recently many world countries responded to the soaring phenomenon by sending navy ships to conduct piracy patrols in the area.
Regional
countries expressed concern over the multinational military presence in
the area and are seeking regional measures that as they say will not
harm the national security.
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