President Ranil Wickremesinghe will leave for Australia this week to attend the Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth.
Director Of International Affairs at the President’s Office, Dinouk Colombage told NewsWire that the President will deliver the keynote address at the conference.
He further said that President Wickremesinghe will also be meeting the Western Australia Premier, Australia’s Foreign Minister, during his visit.
The 7th edition of the Conference is being organised by India Foundation in association with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore and Perth USAsia Centre on February 9 -10, 2024, in Perth, Australia.
With the theme “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”, the Conference will bring together key stakeholders to chart the roadmap for strengthening regional cooperation
The Indian Ocean Conference is an annual event which debuted in Singapore in the year 2016 with over 300 delegates from 22 countries including ministers, political leaders, diplomats, strategic thinkers, academics, and media.
In over seven years the Conference has emerged as the flagship consultative forum for countries in the region. The Conference endeavours to bring critical states and principal maritime partners of the region together on a common platform to deliberate upon the prospects of regional cooperation for Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
Previously, the Conference has taken place in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Maldives, UAE and Bangladesh.
The 6th Indian Ocean Conference 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was addressed by a President, a Vice President, a Prime Minister, 13 Ministers, 2 Foreign Secretaries and Heads of 3 Multilateral Organisations, and attended by over 300 social and corporate leaders, policy practitioners, scholars, professionals and media personnel from over 40 countries. (NewsWire)
