Bangalore hosts 11th ministerial meeting of IOR-ARC

December 29, 2011

Bangalore hosted Indian Ocean Rim countries meet: India’s tech hub Bangalore, hosted the 11th ministerial meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) that will focus on promoting trade and investment among the 18 member-countries.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), launched in Mauritius in March 1997, is a grouping of nineteen Indian Ocean-rim states, whose aims are to facilitate trade and investment in the region. Member states include Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, the Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. China, Egypt, France, Japan and the United Kingdom are Dialogue Partners, while the Indian Ocean Tourism Organisation is an Observer.
IOR-ARC activities include several on-going topical projects and work programs conducted by member countries of shared interests, all of which under the umbrella of 3 separate working groups, namely the Working Group on Trade and Investment (WGTI), the Indian Ocean Rim Business Forum (IORBF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG). The Association holds a Council of Ministers meeting once every two years.