On 17 November 2021, H.E. Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended the 21st Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Meeting of the Council of Ministers (COM) chaired by Bangladesh, via video conference.
The Meeting was held under the theme “Harnessing the Opportunities of the Indian Ocean Sustainably for Inclusive Development”. Thailand stressed the importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) promotion and women’s economic empowerment for post COVID-19 economic recovery. Furthermore, Thailand urged IORA members to enhance cooperation on Blue Economy and sustainable fisheries, which is in line with the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model of Thailand.
The Meeting adopted the Dhaka Communique which reaffirms the commitment of IORA member states to promote cooperation and the role of IORA in international arena in order to achieve the goal of inclusive development of the Indian Ocean.
IORA was established in 1995 to enhance economic cooperation, trade and investment facilitation and sustainable development of the Indian Ocean region. Currently, IORA has 23 member states and 10 dialogue partners.