The UN Security Council on Monday renewed authorization for measures to combat piracy off Somalia's coast and warned nations against paying pirates ransoms to free hijacked ships. The council's 15 members unanimously approved resolution 1897 extending anti- piracy measures for a year, following the hijacking of a Greek-flagged oil tanker travelling from Saudi Arabia to the United States. The resolution expresses the council's concern 'that escalating ransom payments and the lack of enforcement of the arms embargo... are fueling the growth of piracy off the coast of Somalia.' The UN's special representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, denounced earlier this month the payment of ransoms to free seized ships, saying it had made piracy a 'highly profitable business.' Resolution 1897 authorizes foreign nations to send warships into Somalia's territorial waters through November 30, 2010, under an agreement with the Somali government. It also allows nations to take all necessary and appropriate measures inside Somalia to stop acts of piracy. The resolution calls on states and regional organizations to reach agreements with countries willing to take custody of piracy suspects so that they can be investigated and prosecuted. An international armada of warships has patrolled an area in the north of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden for the last year in an attempt to curb piracy. But countries who have captured pirates have often had difficulty bringing them to justice because of legal technicalities. The resolution was co-sponsored by numerous countries, including Somalia and the Seychelles, which have seen their territorial waters become increasingly prone to piracy. Other nations who co-sponsored the resolution include countries with maritime traditions or who frequently supply registration for ships, including Greece, Cyprus, Liberia and Panama. 