Senior Ministers and Foreign Affairs officials from member countries and dialogue partners of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) are set to convene in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for the 23rd IORA Council of Ministers on October 11, 2023. The Council of Ministers meeting, hosted by Sri Lanka, will bring together high-level representatives from around the Indian Ocean region, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation.

The Council of Ministers is the highest decision-making body within IORA and plays a pivotal role in shaping policies and initiatives to enhance collaboration among member states. The meeting will feature the participation of foreign ministers from key IORA member countries such as Bangladesh, India, Iran, Mauritius, Malaysia, and South Africa. Additionally, ministers and senior officials from Australia, Comoros, France, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen will be present.

Dialogue partners, including China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States of America, will also join the discussions, reflecting the global significance of the Indian Ocean region.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry of Sri Lanka will chair the Council, succeeding the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh as the current Chair. The discussions will focus on advancing cooperation in six priority areas identified by IORA, including Trade and Investment, Maritime Safety and Security, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management, and Blue Economy, among others. Recommendations from the 25th Committee of IORA Senior Officials, which precedes the Council of Ministers meeting, will guide the deliberations.

IORA, established in 1997, encompasses 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners across Africa, West Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, and Oceania. Sri Lanka will assume the chairmanship of IORA for the period 2023 to 2025. In addition to the formal meetings, visiting ministers will have the opportunity to engage in bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan counterparts and make a collective call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe.