Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called for establishing a special structure within the UN system that would directly deal with the issue of fighting maritime crimes in various regions during his address to the high-level UNSC debate chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin underlined in the virtual open debate on maritime security chaired by Prime Minister Modi under India's Presidency of the UN Security Council that the increase in maritime robberies and hostage-taking was aggravated as some countries cannot fight against transnational crime syndicates, pirates and terrorists on their own.
"Russia promotes strict adherence to key norms and principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter, such as respect for sovereignty, non-intervention in the internal affairs and settling disputes through dialogue," Putin said.
The high-level open debate on 'Enhancing Maritime Security: A Case for International Cooperation' is one of the three signature events being hosted by India during its month-long Presidency of the powerful 15-nation UN body.
Putin said Russia wanted to build productive cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the Indian Ocean Commission.
"Undoubtedly, we aim to help ensure security in the area of the Persian Gulf, in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean where we have seen a growing number of maritime robberies and hostage-taking.
"The situation is aggravated by the fact that some countries cannot fight against transnational crime syndicates, pirates and terrorists on their own. That is why we're discussing the issues of uniting under the aegis of the UN capacities of special services and relevant armed contingent of all interested States," he said.
Putin emphasised that Russia was prepared to share its experience of anti-terrorist operations, crime prevention, identification and neutralisation of crime gangs, including those operating in maritime areas.
"We think it would be useful to share our experience and best practices of countering piracy, armed robberies and other maritime criminal activities on a regular basis," he said.
"In this context, we should think about establishing a special structure within the UN system that would directly deal with the issue of fighting maritime crime in various regions," Putin said.
He said that this structure should be based on the support of the UN member states and actively engage experts, representatives of civil society, academia and the private sector.
"We hope that our partners would consider Russia's proposal in a constructive manner," he said.
Putin expressed hope that participants of the UNSC deliberation will concur with his saying that the UN principles must be observed in the peaceful and responsible use of maritime spaces, their natural resources, protection of the marine environment and sustainable economic activity in the vast global ocean.
"As one of the leading maritime powers, Russia is doing a lot to maintain and strengthen international rule of law in maritime security. Our country is actively engaged on the full range of these matters in the UN as well as in multiple regional formats, including in the Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia, ASEAN Regional Forum as well as East Asia Summit," he said.
Putin reiterated that Russia was committed to its joint goal of fighting maritime crime in all its forms and manifestations.
"We are prepared to continue supporting the development of equal international cooperation on the topic of maritime security," he said. He thanked India's friends for their useful initiative of holding this meeting and also wished India "every success as the chair of the United Nations Security Council in August.
"I thank President Putin for his statement. Russia has always played an important role in global maritime security. It's an important player in global security, safety, and prosperity," Prime Minister Modi said in response to President Putin's statement.
