12th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of IORARC held in Gurgaon

Foreign ministers of Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation have met in Gurgaon to discuss various issues of mutual strategic importance. Maritime security, disaster risk reduction , trade, academics and tourism were top of the agenda. 

The Gurgaon Declaration noted that at the last meeting in Bangalore a year ago, the IOR-ARC identified six priority areas for cooperation: maritime security and piracy, disaster risk reduction, trade & investment facilitation, fisheries management, academic and S&T cooperation, and tourism and cultural exchanges. This helped bring greater focus on the Association’s work with several cooperation initiatives having been taken in each of these priority areas.

Underlining the Association’s importance, the declaration pointed out that the Indian Ocean’s stability and well-being were critical for global economic prosperity. Piracy is an increasingly serious concern, posing a threat to maritime commerce and the safety of sea farers, making insurance costlier and adding to the costs incurred by the shipping industry in the Indian Ocean Region. Weak governance and instability in parts of the region have contributed to its degeneration into transnational organized crime. During the meet IORARC reaffirmed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and safety and security of Sea Lanes of Communication in the Indian Ocean.

Further the declaration stated that the connectivity provided by the Indian Ocean has played an important part in economic status of the nations and enhanced connectivity can have a catalytic effect on economic integration by drastically reducing the costs of doing business. In this context, development of port and harbour infrastructure in the region assumes critical importance. Thus IORARC directed the Working Group on Trade and Investment to explore the potential of cooperation in this sector, including investment in and upgradation of shipping infrastructure and logistic chains in the region. This would act as an economic multiplier, facilitating growth in individual rim economies.

The meet also emphasized on the need of building human connectivity through deepening cultural cooperation and promoting tourism in the region which is marked by diversity in social and cultural values.

 

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