Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of 20th Anniversary of IORA concluded in Jakarta

Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of 20th Anniversary of IORA concluded in Jakarta The Leaders' Summit in Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) concluded on 7 March 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. In the summit, India was represented by the Vice President Hamid Ansari. About the Leaders’ Summit
• It was held with the theme - Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean.
• In a historic first, the summit brought together the leaders of the 21 IORA Member States, including India, and its 7 Dialogue Partners as well as other special invitees including Myanmar.
• Member States issued the Jakarta Concord, which sets out a vision for a revitalized and sustainable regional architecture.
• The summit is considered as a game-changer for regional cooperation and a demonstration of Member States and Dialogue Partners commitment to the Indian Ocean region.
• The convening of the summit is a strategic and progressive step by IORA leaders to realise an IORA that is able to move faster and able to deal with future challenges.
• The current summit is also a milestone in the renewal of commitment by IORA countries to intensify IORA cooperation.
• The Leaders' Summit was preceded by the Council of Ministers' meeting on 6 March 2017.
• The meeting released the first IORA Action Plan, which sets out IORA's short-, medium- and long-term flagship initiatives for 2017-2021.