Sri Lanka will assume the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for the 2023-2025 period at the forthcoming 23rd Council of Ministers’ Meeting to be hosted by Sri Lanka on 11 October in Colombo.
This is the second time that Sri Lanka will assume the IORA Chairmanship, having previously served as the Chair from 2003 to 2004.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association is the only inter-governmental regional forum that brings together 23 littoral States of the Indian Ocean. There are also 11 Dialogue Partners in the Association. Sri Lanka is a founding member of the Association.
Foreign Affairs Minister, President’s Counsel M.U.M. Ali Sabry will be the Chair of the Council of Ministers during Sri Lanka’s Chairmanship.
Sri Lanka has chosen “Strengthening regional architecture: Reinforcing the Indian Ocean identity” as the theme for its Chairmanship of the IORA.
The Member States of the Association are Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, the Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The Dialogue Partners are China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The primary objectives of the Indian Ocean Rim Association are to promote regional economic integration, enhance trade and investment, facilitate sustainable development, and strengthen maritime safety and security and it focuses on several priority areas, including maritime safety and security, trade and investment facilitation, fisheries management, disaster-risk reduction, academic and scientific cooperation, tourism and cultural exchanges, and female economic empowerment.
The Secretariat for Sri Lanka’s Chairmanship of the IORA will function under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by Executive Director General Prof. Sudharshan Seneviratne. Officials of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency and the Navy will be attached to the Secretariat.