Putin thanks India for maritime security initiative, reaffirms Russia's commitment to combat crime at sea

Speaking at a UNSC maritime security conference chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked India for the maritime security initiative and reaffirmed that the Russian Federation is committed to the common tasks of combating crime at sea in all its forms and manifestations.

Moscow [Russia]: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday thanked India for the maritime security initiative and reaffirmed that the Russian Federation is committed to the common tasks of combating crime at sea in all its forms and manifestations.

Speaking at a UNSC maritime security conference chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin said, "I thank our Indian friends for such a useful initiative in holding this meeting. I would like to reaffirm that the Russian Federation is committed to the common tasks of combating crime at sea in all its forms and manifestations. We are ready to further promote the development of equal international cooperation on this topic." The high-level debate on 'Enhancing Maritime Security - A Case for International Cooperation' at the UNSC held through video conference was chaired by PM Modi.

The meeting was attended by several heads of state and government of member states of the UNSC, and high-level briefers from the UN System and key regional organizations. Putin further endorsed PM Modi's idea of uniting the efforts of all interested states in maritime security.

"As you, Mr Prime Minister, rightly mentioned in your speech, in order to achieve real success in this area [maritime security], it is necessary to unite the efforts of all interested states, as well as international organizations, regional structures - with the central coordinating role of the UN and its Security Council," said Putin.

Emphasizing Russia's stand for strict observance of the key norms and principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, he said, "I have spoken more than once and now, addressing the members of the Security Council, I would like to emphasize once again that Russia stands for strict observance of the key norms and principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, such as respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, resolution of disputes through dialogue."

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"I hope that the participants in our debates will agree with me that the UN principles are obligatory for application in the sphere of the peaceful and responsible use of the sea, its natural resources, protection of the marine environment, sustainable economic activity in the vast aquatic part of our planet," added Putin.

Speaking about the Russian effort to secure the seas, he added, "As one of the leading maritime powers, Russia is doing a lot to preserve and strengthen the international legal order in the field of maritime security. Our country is actively involved in work on the entire range of these issues, both at the UN and within the framework of numerous regional formats, including through the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, the Regional Security Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and East Asian Summits."

He also vowed that Moscow will ensure security in the Persian Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean amid a surge across the globe in piracy-related incidents including robbery at sea accompanied by taking of hostages.

"And of course, we strive to promote security in the Persian Gulf zone, in the Atlantic - in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, where cases of sea robbery, accompanied by the taking of hostages, have become more frequent. The specificity of the situation is that it is really difficult for some countries to independently resist transnational syndicates of criminals, pirates and terrorists," said Putin.

He also said that Russia is also interested in building productive interaction with the Association for Regional Cooperation of the Coastal Countries of the Indian Ocean and the Indian Ocean Commission.

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To counter piracy, he focussed upon uniting the power potential of the special services and the corresponding armed contingents of all interested states under the auspices of the UN.

"Russia is ready to share its experience in anti-terrorist operations, crime prevention, detection and neutralization of bandit formations, including in maritime areas. In our opinion, it would be useful to exchange on a regular basis the best practices in countering piracy, armed robbery and other criminal activity at sea," said Putin.

He also suggested the creation of a maritime security body in the United Nations Security Council to address maritime crimes, piracy and maritime terrorism.

"In this context, one could think about creating a special structure within the UN system, which would directly deal with the problems of combating maritime crime in different regions. At the same time, such a structure would rely on the support of the UN member states and would actively involve experts, representatives of civil society, scientific research circles and even private business in its work," said Putin.

Further, he wished India to continue to successfully fulfil the functions of the President of the United Nations Security Council this month.

ANI