The United Arab Emirates has condemned the hijacking of an oil tanker while sailing off the Yemeni coast, carrying a number of Egyptian sailors, saying such criminal acts threaten maritime security and global trade.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the country’s full solidarity with Egypt and with the families of the kidnapped sailors, and voiced support for efforts aimed at ensuring their safety and securing their release.
The ministry stressed the “importance of intensifying international efforts to combat piracy and organised crime in vital maritime routes”.
It also said maritime security is a key pillar of global economic stability and international trade, reaffirming the UAE’s call for stronger regional and international cooperation to protect commercial vessels, ensure the safety of maritime crews, and maintain the security and stability of navigation routes.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying eight Egyptian sailors had been hijacked near the Somali coast.
The ministry added that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had instructed the Egyptian embassy in Mogadishu to follow up on the situation of the Egyptian sailors aboard the vessel, provide all necessary support, and work towards their swift release.
The ministry said it was “closely monitoring the hijacking of the oil tanker M/T Eureka from Yemeni territorial waters and its transfer to Somali territorial waters.”
READ: Egypt confirms oil tanker hijacked off Yemen’s coast, taken to Somalia