Indian Rim Ocean ministers meet in Colombo

[August 27, 2004 - 6.15 GMT]

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said the IOR-ARC could assist in establishing a sharing approach of globalization with the villager.

“As such it could work together with a view to achieving economic and social emancipation" for those in the region,” he said at the inauguration of the 5^th Council of Ministers of the Indian Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) yesterday, Colombo.

He further said in keeping with the concept of "shared responsibility" the member states could use their respective capabilities in the fields of technology, capital and markets, raw materials and human resources for each other's benefit.

The IOR-ARC Ministerial meeting, comprising 18 countries, met in Colombo from August 26 - 27. The Council of Ministers will also meet with the five dialogue partners of the IOR-ARC, namely China, Egypt, France, Japan and the UK with the Indian Ocean Tourism Organization (IOTO) as an observer.

This regional association was formed with the purpose of facilitating and promoting economic cooperation among the member countries and follows a tripartite model with links at government, business and academic levels.

Sri Lanka was elected to the chairmanship of the IOR-ARC in 2001 for the period 2003-2004. The next Council of Ministers' Meeting is scheduled to be held in Teheran, Iran.

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Last Updated Date: August 27, 2004  - 6.15 GMT.