Remarks by Chargé d'Affaires Virginia Blaser on the Second Annual South Asia and Africa Regional Port Security Cooperative Conference Opening Ceremony

Wednesday September 9, 2009

Le Meridien Hotel, Pointe aux Piments

Honorable Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications, Xavier Luc Duval
Colleagues of the Diplomatic Corps
Ms. Premila Roy, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications
Mr. Jocelyn David Gracieuse, Chairman, of the Mauritius Ports Authority,
Mr. Shekhur Suntah, Director General of the Mauritius Ports Authority,
Captain Gerald Swanson, Commander, United States Coast Guard Activities Far East,
Ladies and Gentlemen

On behalf of the United States, it is a tremendous honor to be here today at the Opening Ceremony of the Second Annual South Asia and Africa Regional Port Security Cooperative (SAARPSCO) conference in Mauritius.

First of all, we thank the Government of Mauritius for graciously hosting this year’s SAARPSCO conference.  A special commendation is owed to the Mauritius Ports Authority and the United States Coast Guard for organizing this conference that brought us all here today.

The Indian Ocean holds some of the busiest shipping trade routes in the world.  It is bounded on the North by Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, on the West by Africa; on the East by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the South by the Southern Ocean, as it is sometimes called, the cold seas around Antarctica. 

Each year over 100,000 ships transit these Indian Ocean trade routes, importing and exporting vital economic supplies and goods throughout the region and around the globe. With such a high volume of economic activity, the preservation of maritime safety and security becomes a global concern.

Unfortunately, shipping hazards such as piracy threaten economic stability and add additional security expenses to the cost of conducting trade in and through this region.  Therefore, all of you present here today have a critical undertaking, to collectively collaborate on future networking activities to address the conditions of regional cooperation to enable a safe and secure maritime environment.  The future of this region is in your hands.

The United States is seriously concerned about a variety of maritime challenges, including those of terrorism, piracy, trafficking in narcotics and weapons, and trafficking in human beings. These issues do not concern the United States alone: they are global threats requiring global, and even more so regional, cooperation.

The United States has long shared the conviction that strengthening regional cooperation is the way to address emerging issues of opportunity and threats.  We are firmly committed to the path of engaging in multilateral partnerships to strengthen regional cooperation.

Genuine maritime safety and security within this region will only come when nations engage in dependable cooperation and act in harmony to address regional challenges.

The United States government has been proactive in providing regional training and education for hazards response planning, peacekeeping efforts, and improved humanitarian assistance efforts, including sea and air search and rescue capabilities.  We have worked hard to strengthen and deepen regional security through encouraging cooperative dialogue, because we so firmly believe in it.  This is why we are so proud to have established a strong partnership with so many maritime nations throughout the Indian Ocean.  And why the American people have invested – even in these difficult financial times – millions upon millions of dollars in this region.

This brings me to perhaps the most visible of the maritime threats to regional economic stability and growth: piracy.  The United States leads international efforts to combat piracy and to hold pirates accountable for criminal acts that impede trade and humanitarian aid.  We also remain committed to democratic governance, human rights, the rule of law, and free trade and investment.  In the maritime sphere, the United States is committed to keeping the sea lanes open and maintaining the principles of freedom of navigation and overflight.

No one nation is immune to or will be spared from the consequences of piracy. Piracy concerns, as you all know well, are not only for the more northern nations of the Indian Ocean.  Regional tourism is affected, freight and marine insurance charges have sky-rocketed, business in the ports has been hit, and fishing boats no longer venture out as far as they used to.  These consequences of piracy are impacting economy stability and growth.  As the U.S. representative to both Mauritius and Seychelles, I hear anecdotes of the negative impact of piracy nearly every day. The U.S. wants to help.  I believe we are helping, but we can’t do it alone.

One of the key challenges to U.S. Naval forces is coordinating a transfer of suspected pirates interdicted within the region.  Let me respectfully offer one suggestion: Mauritius, with its strong record of adherence to the rule of law and the capacity within its justice system, could do more in this area.  For those of you not from Mauritius, ask yourselves “What can my country do?  How de we contribute?  How can we do our part?”  And don’t wait until it is too late to take action.

In conclusion, let me offer one simple message: a harmonized approach to regional cooperation is the means to achieve the goal of maritime safety and security throughout the region.  That’s a fancy way of saying we must work together to keep this region safe.  Will the pirates win or will we?  The answer to that question is in your hands.

Thank you.