DHAKA, 17 November 2021, (TON): Bangladesh took over the responsibilities of the chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association from the United Arab Emirates for two years.

According to an announcement of the foreign ministry “the UAE assistant minister for economic and trade affairs, Abdul Nasser Alshaali, handed over the chairmanship to the Bangladesh foreign secretary, Masud Bin Momen, on the second day of the 23rd meeting of the senior officials of the organisation in Dhaka.”

Bangladesh will discharge the responsibilities of the IORA chair till 2023.

The IORA held the two-day meeting of the senior officials on November 15 and 16 in Dhaka to set the next course of the intergovernmental organisation of the 23 countries of the Indian Ocean region.

The 21st meeting of the IORA council of the ministers will be held in Dhaka.

Twelve ministers and about 80 senior officials of the member countries are set to join the in-person meeting, with the representatives unable to travel due to the Covid pandemic availing themselves of scopes to join the meeting virtually.

According to officials “Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen will lead the Bangladesh delegation in the ministerial segment.”

The member countries are expected to adopt a Dhaka declaration and an IORA action plan in the areas of trade, investment, education and cooperation in science and technology for implementing in the next five years.