Foreign Minister participates in the 24th IORA Council of Ministers meeting

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdulla Khaleel has participated in the 24th Council of Ministers meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

Held online today under the theme "A Sustainable Indian Ocean for Future Generations," the meeting was chaired by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath in his capacity as the Chair of IORA. Ministers and senior officials from the 23 IORA member states, along with 12 dialogue partners, participated in the meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to the goals and principles outlined in the IORA Charter. Furthermore, member states discussed strengthening IORA and matters of regional interest, and endorsed the 'Colombo Communiqué'.

In his statement at the meeting, Minister Dr. Khaleel highlighted the importance of urgent regional action by IORA to address critical shared challenges such as maritime security threats, climate change, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Minister also assured the Maldives' continued cooperation in regional efforts to achieve IORA's vision.

IORA is an inter-governmental organisation established in 1997 to promote regional cooperation and sustainable development among Indian Ocean countries. The Maldives joined IORA on November 8, 2019.