Bangladesh wants IORA to play ‘central role’ to combat challenges in the Indian Ocean

Bangladesh recognises the importance of the Indian Ocean for trade and economic growth and wants the 21 countries grouping along the Ocean rim take “central role” to address the challenges.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 March 2017, 02:16 PM
Updated : 6 March 2017, 03:02 PM

Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, addressing a ministerial meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association or IORA in Indonesia on Monday, identified the challenges that include maritime piracy, armed robbery, human trafficking, illegal arms trafficking, Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The grouping “must initiate appropriate actions” to combat those challenges, he said, adding that it is “only proper that IORA assumes a central role in the fight against these challenges and that too in a manner which is participatory, inclusive and open in nature.”

“We must keep in mind that the centre of global economic gravity is gradually shifting eastward and being primarily focused around the Indian Ocean Rim.

“In the process, Indian Ocean has emerged to be critically important as a pipeline for international trade and economy,” he said.

Twenty-one countries along the Indian Ocean are the members and six countries including China, Japan and the US are dialogue partners of the grouping - home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies driven by large young population.

Half of the world's container ships, a third of the world's bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of the world's oil shipments travel through the region.

The ministerial meeting took place ahead of the first-ever IORA Leaders' Summit on Tuesday in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the association. Indonesia hosted the meeting as the current chair of the IORA.

Foreign ministers or state ministers from 21 member states of the IORA - Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE and Yemen – attended the meeting.

Bangladesh foreign minister, Ali, expressed his “satisfaction” over IORA’s evolution into a forum which addresses regional and global issues of both human security and human development across several continents during the last 20 years.

He also reiterated the commitments of Bangladesh to continue to support the initiatives of IORA, the foreign ministry said.

To enhance the trade and investment facilitation, Ali suggested considering “liberalisation of the visa regime and strengthen land, air and maritime connectivity including revitalising the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum, reducing the trade barriers within the region to realise its modern adaptation”.

He appreciated the IORA’s initiative to introduce IORA Business Travel Card (IBTC) for the businessmen of this region to enhance economic integration among the member countries.

The foreign ministry said this meeting was particularly “crucial” for IORA member states for taking some critical policy decisions and preparing themselves ahead of the IORA Summit.

The meeting adopted two historical documents titled the IORA Plan of Action and the Declaration on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism.

The meeting also finalised the Agenda and the Programme of Work for the Leaders’ Summit. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lead the Bangladesh delegation to the summit where the ‘Jakarta Concord’ is expected to be signed.

Bangladesh is “deeply committed to implement and integrate the IORA Concord” in the national development paradigm, the foreign minister said, adding that the initiatives were “highly aligned” with the development policies of Bangladesh.

“Bangladesh sees the Action Plan of IORA as a new avenue to make the IORA a vehicle for maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,” he said.