IORA Member States in a virtual meeting of IORAG
On 5 July, MIMA was honoured to be nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia (MOFA) to represent Malaysia in an Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG) virtual meeting. A Senior Researcher, Cdr Ang Chin Hup (R), two Researchers, Nurul ‘Atiqah Rosnan and Alif Imran Hidayat were representing MIMA.
It was a jointly hosted meeting by South Africa as the IORAG Chair and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Secretariat based in Mauritius. Besides Malaysia, the other member states of IORA were in the meeting.
The IORAG is an academia-led functional body of the IORA. It is a think tank set up by the intergovernmental organisation to strengthen regional cooperation and sustainability within the Indian Ocean. Its members comprise nations whose shores are washed by this vast ocean. Malaysia is an active member state of IORA, with MOFA as this organisation’s focal point.
MIMA has been active in the IORA by conducting ports and shipping training. During the IORA’s leader Summit in Jakarta in 2017, MIMA was nominated as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for maritime affairs.
Some of the Member States of IORA
On a different occasion, South Africa, as the Chair of IORAG, has hosted a meeting in Durban to discuss the work plan for academic cooperation and research among member states of IORA. Cdr Ang Chin Hup (R), a Senior Researcher of MIMA, attended the meeting with the High Commissioner of Malaysia to South Africa, H.E. Mohamad Nizan Mohamad.
Cdr Ang with the High Commissioner of Malaysia to South Africa, H.E. Mohamad Nizan Mohamad
MIMA would like to thank MOFA for the opportunity to participate in intergovernmental organisations initiative such as IORA.