Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the Adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution to Address the Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery off the Coast of Somalia

December 3, 2008
Japanese

Japan welcomes the unanimous adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1846 on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 (New York time), regarding measures to address the acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia.
Japan has been gravely concerned about the acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. Japan regards this issue as an urgent matter from the point of view of ensuring the safety of sea lanes as well as of protecting the lives and assets of our nationals. Against this backdrop, Japan held close consultations with Security Council members for the adoption of this resolution and joined in its co-sponsorship. Japan strongly hopes that the resolution will enhance the ongoing efforts to address the issue of piracy and armed robbery in this area.

(Note: Nineteen countries co-sponsored the resolution, including the US, the UK, France, Belgium, Croatia and Italy among the Council members, and Japan, together with Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain and Ukraine, among non-Council members.)

(END)