The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has welcomed a decision by the French Government to seek agreement within the United Nations Security Council on measures that would protect shipping off the coasts of countries susceptible to pirate attack.
Among other possible action, countries would be asked to consent to foreign naval forces entering territorial waters, an IMO statement said.
The announcement follows the recent intervention of the French navy in the hijacking of a French cruise ship Ponant, which was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. The action resulted in the crew being released without conflict, injury or loss of life and the arrest of the suspected pirates.
The intention of the French government to seek agreement within the United Nations Security Council on measures that would protect shipping from pirates will be supplementary to the efforts, initiated by France and subsequently undertaken by Denmark and the Netherlands, to protect vessels carrying humanitarian aid delivered by the World Food Programme to Somalia.
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