BRUSSELS (dpa) – NATO has agreed to extend its anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia until the end of 2012, the alliance's spokesman told journalists in Brussels.

NATO maintains one of the main naval screens in the Gulf of Aden as part of international efforts to crack down on piracy in the key shipping route, and sees the mission as a symbol of its ability to provide security away from its traditional bases in Europe.

The mission's current mandate had been set to end in August this year.

NATO ambassadors ''decided to extend NATO's anti-piracy mission through (to the end of) 2012. This is based on the assessment that this mission is making demonstrable contribution to increased safety for shipping and reduced success rates for pirates,'' NATO spokesman James Appathurai said.

As part of the mission, a fleet of five warships – one each from Britain, the United States, Italy, Turkey and Greece – is set to arrive in the area of operations on Friday, ready to replace the flotilla currently in the area for a four-month stint.

Pirate activity hit new heights in the region in 2009 following the high-profile seizure and ransom of several ships in 2008.