Somalia, India pen agreement on pirates

India and Somalia signed an agreement to transfer convicted pirates yesterday, the Hindu reported.

Yusuf Garaad Omar, foreign minister of Somalia, met with Sushma Swaraj, India’s external affairs minister, and M.J Akbar, minister state of affairs. The bilateral meetings between the countries sealed an agreement on piracy and maritime security which is currently impacting Indian commercial interests in the Indian Ocean.

The bilateral meetings also included topics on the recent political developments in the Gulf region.

India has given Somalia development support previously, including the provision of buses to support transport infrastructure. Officials from both countries last met in 2015 at the Indian-Africa Summit.