Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad to lead South African Delegation to IOR-ARC Meeting

Pretoria – South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad will lead the South African government delegation to the 8th Council of Ministers Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) in Tehran, Iran scheduled from Sunday - Monday 4-5 May 2008.

The South African delegation will participate in this session of the IOR-ARC discussions with a view to seeking ways in which the IOR-ARC could be used as vehicle to unlock the vast potential of the region with the population of more than two billion people in order to advance the developmental agenda of the South.

The IOR-ARC is an important instrument to promote shared economic benefit between all member states of the Association.

South Africa’s total trade with IOR-ARC member countries amounted to R115 billion in 2007.

The meeting will also explore ways in which trade and investment flows, trade liberalisation, as well as the sustainable exploitation of the tourism potential of the Association’s members could be enhanced.

The deliberations of the Working Groups will focus on, amongst others, the following issues:

• Foreign Direct Investment
• Tourism Promotion and Development Projects
• Preferential Trading Agreement
• Economic Summit for leading business Executives of IOR-ARC
• Political Summit
• Increased student and academic exchange within the region
• The promotion of inter-regional tourism
• A fisheries protocol amongst members
• A review of the IOR-ARC Special Fund

The IOR-ARC is a multilateral organisation comprised of countries that share a shoreline along the Indian Ocean and was launched in March 1997 in Mauritius with a view to focus mainly on trade-related issues. The shared identity of a common historical experience of colonialism and imperialism also contributed to bringing together the leaders of states in the Indian Ocean region, basing regional cooperation on the past littoral economic, social and cultural communities as well as bridging a link between Africa, Asia and Australasia.

The IOR-ARC member states include Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
South Africa was one of the founding members of the IOR-ARC. The organisation is based on the principle of open regionalism, which is a flexible arrangement that compares very favourably with other regional arrangements such as preferential trade agreements, free trade areas, customs unions, common markets, etc. With several IOR-ARC member states sharing participation in other regional initiatives, the IOR-ARC plays an important role as building block for the promotion of south-south cooperation and for complimenting African-Asian regional integration.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

4 May 2008