NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs will be holding the 6th edition of the Indian Ocean Dialogue (IOD) here on December 13.During the summit, member states will hold high-level discussions on the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) role within the Indo-Pacific. The Indian Ocean Rim region, like the Asia-Pacific to the east,is among the world’s most vital in terms of global commerce, energy, environmental and geopolitical stability.
Almost half of the world’s container ships and two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments pass through the Indian Ocean Rim region, which is home to around 2.7 billion people.The IOD is IORA’s premier 1.5 track forum for dialogue between academia and officials on strategic issues of interest and concerns facing the Association.
The summit will be preceded by the 25th Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG) on December 12, which will explore cooperation and collaboration between academics and experts on promoting Academic, Science and Technology Cooperation, a key priority under the IORA Action Plan (2017-2021). The Indo-Pacific concept recognizes the interconnectedness of the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions, which presents opportunities for communities in IORA member states.