FMs arrive for more talks, comments on piracy, Pakistan

(3 Dec 2008) SHOTLIST 1. Various of exterior of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) headquarters with flags in foreground 2. European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana arriving, walking towards reporters 3. Mid of reporters 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief: "For the time being we are ready, we will be approving the mission, and launching the mission next Monday. It is completed; the rules of engagement are robust. There will be six ships on the ground and three operations from the air. You can be sure it is going to be a robust mission with the objective to accompany some of the ships that may cross the region, in particular those of the United Nations but (also) other vulnerable ships and deter and protect. Therefore I think it is going to be a useful operation to try to bring to that part of the sea more security which is badly needed." 5. Mid of reporters 6. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier talking to reporters 7. SOUNDBITE: (German) Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister: "Let me say a few words on the issue of combating piracy. We are glad that the United Nations Security Council has issued a new mandate. This gives us the possibility not only to fulfil the tasks that we have agreed upon within the EU, it is also a basis for coordinating the various mandates and operations. I think this is necessary, and the past days have shown that the presence on the African coast has already saved a few ships from being hijacked." 8. Reporter's hand taking notes 9. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband arriving, talking to reporters 10. Side view of official 11. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Miliband, British Foreign Secretary: "I think these are all issues that are about how does the Pakistani state orient itself to modern threats and the truth is that the modern threat to Pakistan does not come from India. The modern threat to Pakistan comes from within and building up the necessary security but also economic and political apparatus in Pakistan is the exact counterpart to the efforts that need to be made in Afghanistan." 12. Miliband leaving STORYLINE: A European Union flotilla will begin anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia next week, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Tuesday. The six warships and three maritime reconnaissance aircraft will replace a NATO naval force that has been patrolling the region and escorting cargo ships carrying relief aid to Somalia since the end of October. Although the NATO ships have successfully delivered nearly 30,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to the impoverished nation, they have not been able to stem the upsurge in pirate attacks on foreign shipping in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Solana said the EU warships will arrive on Monday, and the hand-over with the NATO force will take place December 15. The task force, codenamed Operation Atalanta, will be the EU's first naval operation. It will have the same duties as the NATO mission, including escorting cargo vessels, protecting merchant ships and deterring pirate attacks. The tasks will be done with "very robust" rules of engagement, Solana told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. The ministers agreed on Monday to ask the UN Security Council to clarify the legal issues involved in the anti-piracy effort. They will discuss on Wednesday whether to deploy a follow-up anti-piracy mission to assist the EU ships. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the EU deployment. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...