India, Sept. 25 -- India and Liberia on Friday brought together a group of countries intended to address a recent spate of attacks on commercial vessels on the high seas that have led to the deaths of dozens of seafarers, including several Indians. The grouping, known as the 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers', met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's High Level Week in New York.

"From the Black Sea to the Red Sea to the Gulf, attacks on civilian shipping have become a growing cause of concern. These actions that disrupt maritime commerce and cost innocent lives are simply indefensible," said external affairs minister S Jaishankar at the event.

Jaishankar pointed to the death of an Indian sailor ...