Estonia urged the European Union Friday to take stronger action against Somali pirates attacking cargo ships bound for Europe, after an Estonian sailor was held hostage for 41 days.
"The EU needs more cooperation and stronger efforts to end the growing cynical business of Somali pirates who hijack dozens of cargo ships sailing between the Indian Ocean and Europe each year," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told reporters here.
He said EU foreign ministers would discuss the issue at a meeting in September, and also urged the NATO Western defence alliance to address the rising rate of maritime crime.
Paet suggested the EU set up a dedicated center to help member states tackle pirates, adding that "another step could be to offer military guard to cargo ships sailing between the Indian Ocean and Europe in that dangerous area."
Estonian sailor Ardo Kalle, the first mate aboard the German-owned Lehmann Timber, was held for 41 days by Somali pirates before being released July 9 with the rest of the crew.
The pirates reportedly received a 750,000-dollar (480,000-euro) ransom.
Paet said Somali pirates, who prey on cargo ships sailing between the Indian Ocean and Europe via the Suez Canal, were encouraged by the success of their missions, namely that they usually get the ransom they demand.
"It is no secret -- we already even have some international firms that deal with mediating the ransom talks between pirates and ship owners," he said.
The waters off Somalia, which has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years, are considered among the most dangerous in the world.
On Sunday pirates seized a 52,000-tonne Japanese vessel and its 21 crew members off the coast of the east African nation.
The EU's Slovenian presidency called in April for "a strong international effort" against Somali pirates after Spanish and French vessels were attacked, saying such incidents "are a major hindrance to the European efforts towards the political stability of Somalia."
According to the International Maritime Bureau, more than 25 ships were seized off Somalia's 3,700 kilometres (2,300 miles) of coastline last year despite patrols by an international force based in Djibouti.
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