India and Liberia have jointly condemned a string of attacks on commercial ships and seafarers in the Gulf and its surrounding waters and in the Black Sea, calling for an immediate halt to the violence and expressing condolences to the families of crew members who have been killed.
The two countries issued the statement on Thursday as co-chairs of the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, a forum they launched on September 25. Describing the assaults as unacceptable, the statement said the attacks disrupted maritime trade and cost innocent lives, and called them simply indefensible in the interest of peace and regional stability.
Call for coordination to protect seafarers
The joint statement said India and Liberia were ready to support greater coordination to prevent such attacks from recurring and to safeguard the rights of seafarers. The two countries also offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The condemnation comes amid a recent series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea that have put Indian seafarers at risk, and as shipping lanes across the Gulf and its vicinity remain tense. India has repeatedly pressed for freedom of navigation and the safety of crew members caught in conflict zones, with a large number of Indian nationals serving aboard merchant vessels worldwide.
The Group of Friends forum, set up in Geneva just weeks ago, is designed to bring governments together on maritime safety — and this week's joint statement is among its first public actions.
Sources: ANI, "Immediate cessation": India, Liberia strongly condemn attacks on shipping, seafarers in Black Sea, Gulf · Times Now, school assembly headlines, October 9
The two countries issued the statement on Thursday as co-chairs of the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, a forum they launched on September 25. Describing the assaults as unacceptable, the statement said the attacks disrupted maritime trade and cost innocent lives, and called them simply indefensible in the interest of peace and regional stability.
Call for coordination to protect seafarers
The joint statement said India and Liberia were ready to support greater coordination to prevent such attacks from recurring and to safeguard the rights of seafarers. The two countries also offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The condemnation comes amid a recent series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea that have put Indian seafarers at risk, and as shipping lanes across the Gulf and its vicinity remain tense. India has repeatedly pressed for freedom of navigation and the safety of crew members caught in conflict zones, with a large number of Indian nationals serving aboard merchant vessels worldwide.
The Group of Friends forum, set up in Geneva just weeks ago, is designed to bring governments together on maritime safety — and this week's joint statement is among its first public actions.
Sources: ANI, "Immediate cessation": India, Liberia strongly condemn attacks on shipping, seafarers in Black Sea, Gulf · Times Now, school assembly headlines, October 9
