France, IMO agree on antipiracy tactics

France, IMO agree on antipiracy tactics

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Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, on Tuesday welcomed the news that the French government is seeking agreement within the United Nations Security Council on measures that would protect shipping off the coasts of countries prone to piracy attacks.
   French naval forces on April 11 were called upon to rescue the crew of the luxury sailing cruise ship Le Ponant, owned by Compagnie Des IIles du Ponant, a subsidiary of France’s CMA CGM, after it was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
   During a meeting held in London with Jacques Audibert, French Charg' d'Affaires, and Capt. Jean Nicolas Gauthier, Naval Attach', Mitropoulos praised the cooperation between the French authorities and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in resolving the incident. Among possible antipiracy actions discussed, countries would be requested to consent to foreign naval forces entering their territorial sea when engaging in operations against pirates.
   'This is fully in line with the similar request made by the IMO to the UN Security Council in July 2007, at the request of the IMO Council and through the UN Secretary-General, a request that was reiterated by the IMO Assembly in November 2007,' Mitropoulos said. 'I warmly welcome the initiatives being pursued by the government of France, which are so closely aligned with IMO's own initiatives and objectives, and I look forward to continued cooperation with the government of France, and all other interested nations, so that appropriate solutions may be found and implemented speedily, to the benefit of the government and people of Somalia; of the seafarers, who may be the innocent, and so often overlooked, victims of acts of piracy and armed robbery; and of shipping in general.”