22/04/24 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 22 April, the Council of the EU accepted the invitation from the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment Secretariat to become a “friend” (observer) of this regional cooperation framework aimed at combating piracy, armed robbery, human trafficking and other illegal maritime activities in the north-west Indian Ocean, in particular the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. “By becoming ‘Friend’ of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment, the EU signals its strong support for an effective regional maritime security architecture, while strengthening its presence and engagement as a global maritime security provider in the fight against illegal activities at sea”, the Council emphasised in its press release. The Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment was signed in 2017 by 17 states in the North-West Indian Ocean. (CG)