Medvedev calls for creating international court for sea pirates

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for creating an international court to try sea pirates and assured that Russia will continue to participate in international efforts to fight piracy.

“This may be an international court or ad hoc court, but this would be a right step,” he said meeting with seafarers in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday.

He stressed that over the five months of this year alone pirates seized much more ships than during the whole of 2008. “This, undoubtedly, seriously harms the shipping and affects the international trade environment,” Medvedev said.

The president underlined that Russia’s mission in the Indian Ocean “is the global task, with which only maritime powers that have the glorious history and opportunities can cope.”

“This work should be continued for the international law regime to gain the upper hand in the whole world and to ensure security of civil ships. This is simply necessary for Russia’s opinion to be regarded,” he said.

“Thus, Russia will further on fulfil its international obligations in compliance with the UN Security Council resolution and with my instructions. The ships of the Northern, Pacific and Baltic Fleets will continue to escort civil ships,” Medvedev said.

He stressed that Russia will pool efforts with EU countries, the U.S., China and India in the fight against sea piracy.

The president said the fight against pirates in the Indian Ocean was high on the agenda of the G8 summit in Italy. “We discussed this problem and stressed the importance of ensuring peace in this region and law and order as a minimum,” he said.

“I am confident that joint efforts will help to effectively fight the piracy off Somalia and other regions of the world ocean,” Medvedev said.

In compliance with the Russian president’s instructions and with the UN Security Council resolution, military ships of the Northern, Pacific and Baltic fleets escort Russian foreign trade vessels off Somalia from October 2008 up to the present day.

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