Oman to host Indian Ocean Conference from Feb 16-17th
World | India News: The Indian Ocean Conference was started by the India Foundation in 2016 in Singapore, and over the years, it has emerged as the flagship consultative forum for countries in the region over regional affairs.
New Delhi: Oman will be hosting the 8th edition of the Indian Ocean Conference from February 16th to 17th. The conference is being organised by the India Foundation in association with Oman’s foreign ministry, with the theme being “Voyages to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership”. The mega event is supported by foreign ministers of India and Singapore. Announcing the conference at a presser in Muscat, President of the India Foundation, Ram Madhav, said, “The conference brings together the countries of the Indian Ocean region. It has become a calendar event, not only in the region but the entire world.”
Oman Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi (host), India’s EAM Dr S Jaishankar, along with foreign ministers of Australia Penny Wong, Bahrain Abdullatif Bin Rashid, Bhutan DN Dhungyel, Iran Abbas Araghchi, Maldives FM Abdulla Khaleel, Mauritius D Ramful, Nepal Arzu Rana Deuba, Sri Lanka Vijitha Herath, Seychelles Errol Fonseka, Eritrea FM Osman Saleh, will be present in Muscat.
Around 27 foreign ministers will be attending the gathering, with delegations from 45 countries in attendance. Multilateral organisations like IORA, the Indian Ocean Commission, and BRICS will also be present. Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain is expected to be present as well. The conference aligns with Oman’s Vision 2040, which focuses on economic diversification, environmental sustainability, and promoting renewable energy.
The Indian Ocean Conference was started by the India Foundation in 2016 in Singapore, and over the years, it has emerged as the flagship consultative forum for countries in the region over regional affairs. The last conference took place in Perth in February 2024.
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Pointing to close ties between India and Oman, Madhav pointed out that both countries have been “strategic partners for the last 15 years and civilisational cousins for 5000 years. Bond has been a very strong bond, people to people bond”. The meeting comes at a time when the western Indian Ocean region has seen instability with Houthi attacks on vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden. Piracy has been another challenge, especially around Somalia. Around 80% of global seaborne trade by volume uses the Indian Ocean for transit. Approximately 40% of the world’s oil supply and 64% of oil trade pass through the Indian Ocean, with critical chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca being particularly significant.