French anti-piracy fleet can use Yemeni ports, minister says

French anti-piracy fleet can use Yemeni ports, minister saysSana'a, Yemen - Yemen has agreed to provide French navy ships operating in the EU-led anti-piracy mission off Somalia with logistical services at its ports, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Saturday.

Kouchner, who paid a one-day visit to Sana'a, made the announcement after a meeting with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

"France and Yemen will exert joint efforts to fight piracy. It is unacceptable to let pirates attack cruise and commercial ships," the French minister said.

Piracy off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden has surged in recent months as Somalia descended further into chaos and unrest.

Kouchner said his country would support the newly-elected Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed to set up security forces and a coastguard force to help secure shipping around the Horn of Africa.

He added he would hold talks on this regard with Sheikh Sharif in Djibouti on Sunday.

The Gulf of Aden, which lies between Yemen and Somalia, and connects the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean, has seen an unprecedented rise in piracy, with 42 ships hijacked and 69 piracy attempts thwarted in 2008.

The waterway is one of the world's most important sea lanes, and an important thoroughfare for goods heading from Asia to Europe. (dpa)

General: 
Political Reviews: 
Regions: