India and Liberia establish Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers

India teamed up with Liberia to establish a Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers. Addressing the inaugural meeting on the margins of UNGA, foreign minister S Jaishankar said actions that disrupt maritime commerce and cost innocent lives are simply indefensible. Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from 23 other countries, including Russia, Germany and Japan, participated in the meeting. "We are here to not highlight this dangerous trend but to urge the international community to close ranks and deter such attacks," he said, recalling PM Narendra Modi's proposal at the recent Brics summit for a Seafarers Emergency Support Network to help seafarers in need. Jaishankar said the Group of Friends consists of major ship-owning member states, countries with the largest number of ship registries and those providing the maximum number of seafarers. Expressing concern over attacks on civilian shipping, he said stronger international cooperation was needed.