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12:05 GMT
BRUSSELS, Jan 6 (KUNA) -- From 1 January, the European Union has assumed
for one year the chairmanship of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of
Somalia (CGPCS) to continue the work carried out in 2013 under the
chairmanship of the United States.
The number of hostages has gone down from more than 700 in 2011 to around
50 today and the European Union is strongly committed to bringing this number
down to zero: zero ships and zero seafarers in the hands of Somali pirates,
said an EU statement.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine
Ashton said "pirate attacks over the past year have dropped by 95%, but the
fight against piracy is not yet won. It is vital that the international
community continues to work together to stamp out piracy and consolidate the
gains we have already made".
The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders in the region and
with the international community to bring the fight against Somali piracy to
an end, she said.
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was
established on 14 January 2009 under UN Security Council Resolution 1851
(2008) to facilitate the coordination of actions among more than 60 states and
organisations to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. (end)
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KUNA 061505 Jan 14NNNN