Canada's push to join Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as dialogue partner is on table at 28th meeting of Senior Officials in New Delhi . Sanjiv Ranjan,IORA's Secretary-General,confirmed Monday application is now under review .
Ranjan stressed benefits of Canada joining, noting its maritime clout. “They [Canada] are a big maritime power because of the huge coastal zones they have,” he said,pointing to Canada's work in maritime safety,security,and connectivity. Know-how that could help other members.
Meeting will tackle several urgent issues,including recent attacks on ships with Indian crew and Iranian 'service fee.' Ranjan voiced hope for peace deal between Iran and U.S.,potentially ending over 100 days of Strait of Hormuz tensions. “It is a welcome thing that we may have an agreement by end of this week as has been reported,” he said.
Amid regional crises,Ranjan underscored need to build capacity to handle disruptions. He noted West Asia crisis challenges are existential,could deeply impact IORA societies . “Thus, we would advocate that it is always a better idea to build up alternate sources, possibilities to weather such changes,” he stated.
Disaster response,mitigation still top of IORA's list,Ranjan said. He warned climate change effects will be “disproportionate” in Indian Ocean area,stressing readiness. “Therefore,we must be ready in dealing with that,” he concluded. Can they rise to meet these looming threats…
