Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts has said the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), as the only ministerial-level forum in the Indian Ocean, plays a pivotal role in helping the region work together to address shared challenges.

“Australia is an active member of IORA, and I am proud to be launching the Australian-funded IORA Blue Carbon Finance Report while in Bangladesh,” he said on Wednesday.

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The Australian Assistant Minister will represent Australia at the 22nd meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers to be held in Dhaka on Thursday.

“I also look forward to having the opportunity to deepen our engagement with the other 22 member states of IORA and represent Australia’s interests, including a secure, prosperous and inclusive Indian Ocean region that supports independent, sovereign and resilient states,” he said.

In Dhaka, Tim will also meet regional counterparts, including Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, to discuss Australia’s constructive engagement across the Indian Ocean.

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“I look forward to strengthening Australia’s engagement with these important partners,” he said.

Bangladesh, the current IORA Chair, is hosting the 22nd IORA Council of Ministers (COM) meeting.

The 24th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) was held on November 22-23.

IORA is a “dynamic” inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 23 Member States and 10 dialogue partners.