BUDAPEST (Reuters) - NATO states agreed on Thursday that the alliance will take part in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, a NATO diplomat said.
Pirates have attacked scores of vessels this year off the coast of Somalia, reaping millions in ransoms and pushing up insurance costs for boats sailing near the lawless country.
"Allies have agreed to have NATO ships address piracy off the coat of Somalia soon, and escort World Food Programme ships, in complementarity with other parties, for instance the EU," the diplomat said after the 26 NATO defence ministers discussed the issue at a meeting in Budapest.
The European Union has agreed to start planning for a joint naval force to combat the menace that could be ready for deployment by the end of the year. The navies of France and other countries are already helping to protect WFP aid shipments, on which some 3.5 million Somalis are dependent.
Source: Reuters, Oct 09, 2008
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