Current News/Foreign Affairs

India to engage with countries of Indian ocean rim and ready to work at various level

L.Raghunanda
Bangalore

11th Council of Ministers Meeting of Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co-operation (IOR-ARC) in third day and last day of meeting opened where delegates representing the respective countries , foreign minister, secretaries, put forward their views, later it was said at end of the third day Bangalore communique will be issued

India which took over the chairmanship of IOR-ARC, from Yemen this year, will hold chairmanship till next year where Australia will take over the chairmanship and also it will be in Perth Australia where next IOR-ARC councils of ministers meeting will be held in 2012

In the opening speech of S.M Krishna External Affairs Minister who took over chairmanship with India holding the chairmanship made remark about the IOR-ARC challenges and opportunities and threats the IOR-ARC countries are to deal with

“There is need to co-operation at regional, sub-regional co-operation between Indian ocean surrounding countries at multi-lateral level ”

On India perspective of the Indian role, that India will play in IOR-ARC as one of its member and presently holding chairmanship “ India need to have interaction, co-operation with countries in the Indian ocean member countries in area of energy , where rising cost of conventional resources has become detrimental.

He also made known the urgent concern the Indian ocean rim countries need to ponder over and for which “strategic co-operation” “understanding” and “exchange of officials and diplomats quite frequently” at times when discussion take place as in discussion with “climate change” “trade and commerce” “fisheries” “piracy” “tourism” has to be the topic of discussion.

S.M Krishna emphasised the measures India has been on as to “ setting up disaster management agencies as to early warning system already in place as to Tsunami warning system” done with co-operation of IOR-ARC

Also the area where academic -government interaction happening in the area of “Hydrology, Marine Biology” and in this front he called on the delegates of those who were there on need to explore on “collaborative approach with Indian at academia-governmental level”

With many countries having raised the issues bothering the Indian Ocean rim countries, with international maritime having been affected also affecting the economy, trade and commodity transport also human trafficking going on “ the Indian govt is very much working with other countries surrounding the Indian Ocean rim.

“And this meeting will assume significance in the light of piracy which is bothering the same for everyone, and consensus where stern policy is framed to tackle the piracy and this will be taken with other International organisation who are working on similar lines”

“Officials are discussing ways of simplifying procedures for utilization of special fund, effective instrument for financing the projects and studies of common interest, with this objective India has decided to provide additional funding of US $ 1 million to the fund” said S,M Krishna on the constituting fund and how the member countries of IOR-ARC can use the fund for the collective development


The 17 member countries and the delegation at Bangalroe 11th IOR-ARC council of minister meeting ,include Mr Kevin Rudd, Foreign Minister Australia, Ms Dipu Moni Foreign Minister of Republic Bangladesh Ms Yuli Mumpuni Widarso Senior Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Legal and Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of republic of Indonesia.

Mohammed Mehdi Akhondzadeh Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, Prof Fertus KAberia High Commissioner of Kenya to India, Ms Rakotoson Rakotorimah Razafinjararosa Charge de Affairs Madagascar.

Y.B Datuk Richard Riot, Deputy Foreign Minister of Malaysia, Dr Arvin Boolell Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius, Anundpriyay Neewoor Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius,
Mr Eduardo Koloma Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation of the Republic of Mozambique.

Mr Talib Miran Zaman Al Raisi Chief of Economic Affairs Sector Oman, Masagos Zulkifli Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Ebrahim Ismail Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation of the Republic of South Africa.

Samuel J.Sitta Head of Delegation Tanzania, Navin Boonseat Secretary of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Khaled Ghanim Al-Ghaith Assistant Minister of Economic Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Dr Abdul Bakr Al –Qirbi Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Yemen, Dr Sarath Amunugama Foreign Minister of Srilanka