WIREDGOV

Agreement a step forward, adding to the agreements that already exist with Seychelles and Tanzania.

The Prime Minister joined a meeting between FCO Minister Henry Bellingham and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr Navin Ramgoolam, in Downing Street recently to sign an agreement which will allow the Royal Navy to transfer suspected pirates to Mauritius for prosecution.

Piracy remains a serious threat to the international community as a whole and the recent agreement is another significant step forward, adding to the agreements that already exist with Seychelles and Tanzania. Mauritius has also recently signed agreements with Puntland and the Transitional Federal Government to transfer prosecuted pirates.

This follows the London Conference on Somalia, where the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart signed an exchange of notes which agreed that the UK and Mauritius would sign a bilateral piracy transfer agreement

Following the signing, Prime Minister David Cameron said;

“I was delighted to meet with Prime Minister Ramgoolam this morning to sign an agreement which will allow the Royal Navy to transfer suspected pirates to Mauritius for prosecution.

“This is an important step forward following the London and Istanbul Conferences on Somalia this year and another sign that countries in the Indian Ocean region are stepping up their efforts against piracy. Piracy is a violent crime and pirates should be in no doubt that they will be arrested at sea, prosecuted in regional states and imprisoned.”