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Talks with Somalia pirates expected to get underway properly today
By h.b. - Apr 23, 2008 - 8:16 AM
ALSO SEE : • Six crew of Galician fishing boat rescued off the Canaries - Jun 11, 2008 - 7:26 PM
• 20 tons of free fish in fishermen's protest in Madrid - May 30, 2008 - 7:26 AM

The Spanish tuna fishing boat, Playa de Bakio - Archive Photo EFE
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The Spanish Navy friggate will arrive in the area later today
The United Nations is reported this morning to be drawing up a project to organise patrols and take other preventative measures to stop the activities of pirates off the coast of Somalia.
The action, headed by the United States, the U.K. and France comes as the kidnapping of the Spanish tuna fishing boat, ‘Playa de Bakio’ continues 250 miles off the Somali coast.

The Spanish ambassador to Kenya is now in Mogadiscioto try and speed up a solution to the kidnapping, with talks with the pirates expected to get underway properly today.

Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said that the safety of the Spanish crew was what he called ‘the essential premise’ in the procedure. He said that there was continued contact with the family members of the crew, who remain, according to the information at his disposal, in good health.

NATO, the EU and the authorities in Somalia are all supporting the Spanish diplomatic efforts. There are also reports that Somalia is to send troops to free the Spanish crew, and that the pirates will be executed. However the pirates are reported to have received support from another similar group.

The Spanish Navy frigate, Méndez Núñez, will arrive in the area later today. So far this year there have been eight similar pirate attacks in the zone.


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ALSO SEE :
• Six crew of Galician fishing boat rescued off the Canaries - Jun 11, 2008 - 7:26 PM
• 20 tons of free fish in fishermen's protest in Madrid - May 30, 2008 - 7:26 AM
• Fish shortages in Málaga as local fishermen stay in port - May 29, 2008 - 8:16 AM
• Fisherman start strike action in Barcelona Port - May 26, 2008 - 8:12 PM
• The crew of the Playa Bakio are now back on Spanish soil - Apr 30, 2008 - 7:36 AM
• Zapatero says the priority in the Playa Bakio kidnapping was the safety of the Spanish crew - Apr 29, 2008 - 7:19 AM
• Released Spanish fishermen on their way home - Apr 28, 2008 - 7:49 AM
• Crew of kidnapped Spanish tuna fishing boat released - Apr 27, 2008 - 9:37 AM
• Kidnapped Spanish fishing boat said to have set sail again in Somalia - Apr 25, 2008 - 8:04 AM
• Talks continue in the Spanish fishing boat kidnap off Somalia - Apr 24, 2008 - 7:24 AM