REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PADANG -- At least 20 countries will attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Ministerial Meeting to be held in Padang, West Sumatra Province on October 23, which will discuss the maritime sector in the region.
"The good news is that out of 20 countries, there will be 15 countries that will send their ministers to the IORA," IORA Secretary General, Bhagirath said on Thursday.
He added that Indonesia, particularly Padang City, is very famous. Thus, many are ministers interested in joining the event.
The ministers, who will attend the meeting, have a background in foreign affairs and the maritime sectors, including from Australia, Bangladesh, Madagascar, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi, will act as the chairman of the IORA meeting and will serve as Chairman, IORA, for the 2015 to 2017 period.
Bhagirath said the six dialogue partner countries of IORA, such as the United States, China, Japan, Egypt, England, and France will also attend the meeting.
"The Foreign Affairs Ministers of China and Egypt have also confirmed their attendance at IORA," Bhagirath added.
The member countries will also welcome Somalia as the 21st country to join IORA. Bhagirath said Germany is another new dialogue partner country to become part of the association.
Retno, during his chairmanship of IORA, will raise several issues, such as women?s empowerment and the blue economy, as well as focus on organization development for maritime security, trade and investment, fishery management, natural disaster risk mitigation and education.
Indonesia also held a senior official meeting of IORA on October 21 and 22 in Padang that discussed the three result documents that will be presented by Indonesia, in its capacity as IORA host and Retno as chairperson.
The documents are called the Padang Communiqu?s, IORA Maritime Cooperation Declaration and Commitment for an Ad-hoc Committee of IORA Concord.
Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika