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Sana'a: A regional centre for combating piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea will be established early next year, Yemeni Minister of Transportation Khalid Ebrahim Al Wazeer said yesterday.
About eight international ships were hijacked in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea since July 20.
The minister said his country, along with 20 others will establish the anti-piracy centre in cooperation with the International Maritime Organisation.
"The centre will be opened at the beginning of next year, and two other centres will be opened in Tanzania and Kenya," Al Wazeer said in a statement published by the state-run newspaper.
Meetings
Regional meetings will be held in the Yemeni capital Sana'a from October 23-30 for signing memoranda of understanding between the countries of the region and discussing means of active cooperation between them for combating increasing piracy, said the minister.
About 19 piracy attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden between April and June this year. About eight were reported since July 20.
On August 20, a Malaysian palm oil tanker, the Bunga Melati Dua, with 39 crew on board was seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Two days later, three more vessels - an Iranian bulk carrier with 29 crew, a Japanese-operated chemical tanker with 19 crew and a German-operated cargo ship with nine crew - were also hijacked.
About 19 piracy attacks occurredin the Gulf ofAden betweenApril and Junethis year.
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