“We are ready to provide our port for ships of the Russian Navy, which are fighting piracy in the region,” he said adding that the port has all essential infrastructures.

The Russian task force comprising the RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission in the region.

Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009. According to the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Center, a total of 217 vessels were attacked last year, resulting in 47 hijackings.

Last week Russia had to release ten pirates captured during an operation to free its Moscow University tanker, citing a lack of proper international legal base to carry out prosecution procedures against pirates.

DJIBOUTI, May 16 (RIA Novosti)