Foreign Secretary welcomes FAC report on piracy
Foreign Secretary William Hague has welcomed the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) report "Piracy off the Coast of Somalia".
In a statement today, the Foreign Secretary said:
“I welcome the Foreign Affairs Committeepira report into Piracy off the coast of Somalia. Somali piracy has grown into a major international problem, exacerbating the wider challenges we face in helping Somalia recover from conflict and drought. We will use the London Conference on Somalia to chart a way forward on the future political direction of Somalia, the vital humanitarian effort and the international community’s approach to tackling piracy.
“I particularly welcome the FAC’s clear support for our military engagement in the Gulf of Aden and in the wider Indian Ocean, for our position on establishing an extra-territorial Somali court, and policy of prosecuting pirates in local courts and our prisoner transfer agreements. Britain will continue to work with the UN, African Union, regional partners and the Somali people to build a stable Somalia and through our work with DFID to build sustainable alternative livelihoods for coastal communities in Somalia.”