14th Ministerial of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

Dr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, IPS, was a delegate with the government of Sri Lanka team at the 14th Ministerial of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in Perth, Australia during 6-9 October 2014.

Dr. Saman Kelegama led the Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG) from Sri Lanka and outlined the measures taken to establish the Centre for Excellence on Ocean Sciences and Environment in Indian Ocean Rim (COE) at the IPS with the funding from the Government of Sri Lanka. Executive Director also briefed the Chairperson of the Ministerial, Hon. Julie Bishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, on the COE. The IORA Ministerial subsequently endorsed the COE and shortly it will start its operations at the IPS. Dr. Kelegama also informed that the study on “Institutional Mechanisms for Promoting Intra-regional Investment and Trade in the IORA in Strategic Sectors: Cooperation in Knowledge-Based Industries” by the IPS was endorsed by the IORAG and is under study at the Ministerial level for necessary policy action.

The Hon Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G.L. Pieris led the Sri Lankan delegation at the Ministerial and included Chitranganee Wagiswara, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; Gihan Indragupta, Director, Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of External Affairs; Tisara Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka High Commissioner, Australia; Frank Crawly, Honorary Council for Sri Lanka in Western Australia, and others.