Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Lindiwe Sisulu, will on Friday, 2 November 2018 host the 18th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers Meeting in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province.
The meeting will take place under the theme: IORA � Uniting the Peoples of Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East through Enhanced Co-operation for Peace, Stability and Sustainable Development.
As the country celebrates the centenary of former president Nelson Mandela who is also viewed as the father of IORA, it is expected that the meeting will adopt a special declaration in honour of his legacy.
IORA was established through the vision of former South African President Nelson Mandela, when 14 member states founded the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) in March 1997. Currently the membership of IORA is sitting at 21 member states. These countries include Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates.
South Africa believes that IORA presents an opportunity to promote deeper economic co-operation among member states.
Source: Government of South Africa