Greek ship owners, U.S. officials discuss piracy

Greek ship owners, U.S. officials discuss piracy    A delegation from the Union of Greek Shipowners met Thursday in Washington with U.S. State Department officials to discuss progress on dealing with piracy off the coast of Somalia.
   The group also consulted on various maritime issues with officials at the departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, Federal Maritime Commission, Military Sealift Command, Environmental Protection Agency, and with staff of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Coast Guard and maritime transportation.
   Andrew J. Shapiro, assistant secretary for politico-military affairs, reminded the Greek ship owners, who control about 20 percent of the world's capacity measured in deadweight tonnage, about the importance of implementing recommended self-protection measures on their ships, according to a department news release. He also urged Greece to sign the New York Declaration, which commits countries to ensure that vessels in their registries implement appropriate self-defense measures.
   The meeting also covered the new international trust fund being established by the Contact Group of countries dealing with the Somali piracy problem. When the fund is activated, governments and private shipping companies will be able to make contributions to support developing countries' efforts to prosecute suspected pirates or fund other Contact Group initiatives to combat piracy.
   State Department officials also encouraged the Union of Greek Shipowners to explore the possibility of providing training and career opportunities for Somalis in the maritime industry.