The Maldives has reiterated commitment to uphold the principles enshrined in the Charter of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). The statement was made by Foreign Secretary of the Maldives Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, while taking part in the 21st Meeting of the Council of Ministers of IORA.
The meeting was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, under the theme “Harnessing the opportunities of the Indian Ocean sustainably for inclusive development”. The meeting brought together ministers from the member states of IORA in which they reiterated their commitment to strengthening solidarity and enhancing multilateral cooperation to effectively respond to the challenges facing the Indian Ocean Region. The Dhaka Communiqué was adopted at the end of the meeting.
In his remarks, Foreign Secretary highlighted that IORA provides its member states an interactive platform to deliberate and work together to achieve their shared perspective for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. He noted that the unity and solidarity that IORA offers are impactful in shaping development plans of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Maldives. He also urged member states to steer their efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and to harness the resources of the Indian Ocean sustainably to recalibrate the approach to development, where no one is left behind. He reiterated the firm commitment of the Maldives to the common principles enshrined in the IORA Charter and called on the member states to revive the true spirit of regional cooperation.
IORA is a leading inter-governmental organization formed in 1997 to enhance regional and socio-economic cooperation and development within the Indian Ocean Region. The Maldives formally joined IORA on November 8, 2019, as its 22nd member state.