EAM Jaishankar reiterates need for Indian Ocean to be free, open, and inclusive
India wants to develop a stable, strong, and resilient Indian Ocean community, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday (October 11, 2023).
 
Speaking at the 23rd Council of Ministers’ (COM) meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, he also reiterated the need for the Indian Ocean to be a free, open and inclusive space.
 
The meeting was hosted by Sri Lanka, the current IORA Chair. India will assume the Vice-Chair role of IORA for 2023-25 at this meeting, leading to Chairship in 2025-27. 
 
Describing India’s priorities as “clear”, EAM Jaishankar said, “It is our effort to develop an Indian Ocean community that is stable and prosperous, strong and resilient, and which is able to cooperate closely within and to respond to happenings beyond the ocean”.
 
It was important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas, he pointed out. “The spirit of 1971 that our Sri Lankan colleague referred to, should continue to guide our outlook, discouraging any hidden agenda,” EAM Jaishankar added.
 
“India’s specific focus will be in the areas of Maritime Safety & Security and Blue Economy as a coordinating country. India will also contribute to other priority and cross-cutting areas of IORA, as and when required,” he explained.
 
EAM Jaishankar used the opportunity to highlight the relevance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of LiFE or ‘Lifestyle for Environment’. He also emphasized the need to harness the power of women by shifting the focus to women-led development. At the same time, the significance of the democratisation of technology in bridging the data divide and promoting Data for Development cannot be over-exaggerated in IORA’s quest for prosperity, he added.
 
Outlining India’s approach as the IORA Vice-Chair for the next two years, India, he described India as the ‘vishwa mitra’ or the world’s friend and a voice of the Global South. India will work with IORA Member States to strengthen the institutional, financial and legal framework of IORA, towards realising the true potential of this dynamic grouping, he said. 
 
The Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation which aims to strengthen regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region. It has 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners.
 
IORA’s priority areas include Maritime Safety & Security, Trade & Investment Facilitation, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management, Tourism & Cultural Exchanges, and Academic, Science, & Technology Cooperation.