The UAE hosted on Wednesday the 22nd meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) member states virtually.
The meeting was presided over by Abdul Nasser Al Shaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Committee’s meeting precedes the 20th IORA Council of Ministers’ (COM) meeting, to be held on Thursday virtually.
The COM meeting will address a number of priority topics within the UAE’s plan as Chair of the Association. An interactive Dialogue Session between senior officials and dialogue partners will focus on human development within IORA states.
The UAE assumed the position of the IORA Chair in November 2019 during the 19th COM and adopted the theme of “Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in the Indian Ocean” for its Chairship from 2019 – 2021.
IORA was established in 1997 with the aim of promoting regional cooperation, prosperity, and growth in the Indian Ocean region through joint action according to key themes, namely maritime security and safety, the facilitation of trade and investment, fisheries management, disaster risk management, tourism and cultural exchange, academic, scientific and technological cooperation, the economic empowerment of women, and the Blue Economy.