Krishna stresses on need to tackle piracy menace in international waters

Bangalore, Nov. 14 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Monday emphasised that members of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) should collectively knit a strategy to combat the menace of piracy in international waters.

Krishna said that piracy was a menace and it would be the resolve of all the member countries to come up with a joint plan to tackle the menace.

He further said that although all member countries were not affected by piracy, they would have to manage a consensus in tackling this menace.

"The most menacing is the piracy on the seas, which is becoming some kind of a global scourge and it is necessary and that all the nations which are involved will have to collectively work out a strategy to fight the menace of piracy," he added.

Krishna stated that compartmentalising of the Indian Ocean by China should not hamper trade relations between the two countries.

He said that both India and China share a stable and cooperative relationship and they would continue to build on it.

"India believes that trade should not be hampered by compartmentalising the ocean as such. And that's the reason why we have a strategic and cooperative partnership with China. Everybody will have to work to sustain that cooperative partnership and India will continue to do that," he added.

Krishna inaugurated the 11th Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) conference here earlier in the day.

This meet is aimed to promote trade and investment among the countries in the Indian Ocean region.

Krishna met Sri Lanka's senior Minister of International Monetary Cooperation Sarath Amunugama, and Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Arvin Boolell during the conference earlier today.

The ministers interacted on enhancing cooperation among the member countries in tourism, culture, education, skill development, fisheries, small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), infrastructure, maritime transport cooperation and combating natural disasters.

India, the founding member of the IOR-ARC would be holding the chair of the IOR-ARC for the next two years, taking over from Yemen.

The association was set up in Mauritius in 1997.

Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen are the member-countries.

This meet shall conclude on November 15, with the concluding conference of ministers (COM). (ANI)