Ref: 2025/PR/122
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Khaleel, participated in the 24th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) held today. The meeting, held under the theme “Sustainable Indian Ocean for Future Generations”, was hosted by the Chair of IORA, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The meeting brought together Ministers and senior officials from IORA’s 23 Member States and 12 Dialogue Partners, who reaffirmed their commitment to the goals and principles enshrined in the IORA Charter.
In his statement, Minister Dr Khaleel highlighted the urgent need for collective regional action to tackle critical shared challenges such as maritime security threats, climate change, and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He also reaffirmed Maldives’ commitment to IORA’s vision of regional cooperation.
IORA is a leading inter-governmental organisation established in 1997 to foster regional cooperation and sustainable development among Indian Ocean countries. The Maldives joined IORA as its 22nd Member State on 8 November 2019. The 24th Council of Ministers Meeting was preceded by the 27th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials, held virtually from 19–20 May 2025.
ENDS