Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called for the immediate release of the hijacked crew of a giant oil tanker - including two Britons - after the vessel anchored off the coast of Somalia.
Mr Miliband said the problem of piracy in the region was "a grave danger to the stability in the region".
His remarks came as it emerged pirates had captured two other vessels in separate incidents - bringing the number of ships seized in the area to eight in the past two weeks.
Speaking to the BBC as he arrived in Beirut for talks with the Lebanese government, Mr Miliband said: "The United Kingdom is very worried about the piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in Somalia. We call on those holding the [Britons] to release them and the rest of the crew immediately
He said the Royal Navy was involved in efforts to resolve the situation.
"The Royal Navy is co-ordinating the European response as well as contributing to the international mission there," he said. "Obviously, the problem of piracy around Somalia is a grave danger to the stability in the region."
Earlier, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said the seizure at the weekend of the fully-laden oil tanker the Sirius Star by pirates 420 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia was of deep concern.
The Foreign Office confirmed that one of the British crew members on board the Saudi-owned Sirius Star is the tanker's chief engineer. The other holds the rank of Second Officer.
"Alongside our international partners, Her Majesty's Government is deeply concerned, not least because two of the crew are British," Mr Ainsworth said, speaking from Kenya. "Our thoughts are with the men and their families at this difficult time.
"We call on those holding the men to release them and the rest of the crew immediately."
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