New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said the newly formed 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers' (GoF on S4) aims to bring maritime stakeholders together to strengthen international cooperation and place the safety of seafarers and commercial shipping at the centre of global discourse, amid a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf region and the Black Sea.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a weekly media briefing here, said the initiative seeks to coordinate countries involved in commercial shipping and the maritime industry, as well as those with significant seafaring communities, to ensure the safety and security of commercial vessels and their crews.

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