Wednesday 12 / March / 2025
Muscat: Activities of the 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) concluded on Monday. Through various topics, the conference addressed the opportunities and challenges facing the Indian Ocean countries and means of enhancing regional cooperation.
On the sidelines of the closing day, an event titled India-Indian Ocean Economic Forum was held. It was attended by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and some officials from the Foreign Ministry and participants in the conference.
In a speech at the event, Al Yousef said: “The 8th Indian Ocean Conference is a platform dedicated to fostering maritime partnerships and economic integration across our region as Oman underlines its commitment to strengthening ties with its neighbours, and fostering a regional economic ecosystem that promotes prosperity for all.”
“Trade has always been at the heart of Oman’s identity; Centuries ago, Omani sailors set sail across the Indian Ocean, navigating as far as the eastern coast of Africa, India, and China. They traded frankincense, dates, and copper, returning with spices, textiles, and knowledge that enriched our civilization. That same maritime tradition continues today, with Oman serving as a strategic gateway between the East and the West. Always being a champion of trade, from the bustling souqs 5,000 years ago to our modern free zones and world-class ports,” he added.
The minister affirmed that the Indian Ocean is not just a body of water—it is an economic lifeline. It facilitates nearly 80% of global oil trade and carries a significant portion of the world’s container traffic. The ports in this region handle billions of dollars in trade annually, yet we are only scratching the surface of our collective potential.
In his turn, Miyaji Takuma, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan touched on the importance of enhancing the common interests of all countries bordering the Indian Ocean and the ties that unite them to foster growth and prosperity for all countries, overcome crises, geopolitical competition and climate change that have impacts on everyone. He also underlined the need for promoting and protecting the free global economy and ensuring economic security through the development of advanced technology, respect international agreements and enhance maritime security.
Three main sessions were held at the closing day. The first one, titled “Strengthening Global Maritime Cooperation”, focused on the importance of joint cooperation among countries to ensure the security and freedom of navigation, enhance maritime and international trade, protect the marine environment, develop the blue economy, the challenges of climate change and the importance of devising new international agreements to regulate navigation.
The second, titled “Innovative Port Security”, addressed the importance of technology and innovation in port security and international and regional cooperation in setting standards to enhance maritime security.
Meanwhile, the third session, titled “Global Marine Resource Management - Challenges and Opportunities”, addressed the main challenges in marine resource management and the opportunities available to enhance cooperation and future solutions.
At the end of the conference, a joint dialogue session was held, bringing together Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, Dr. Ram Madhav, Chairman of the India Foundation and Shri Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary East, Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of India.
The session witnessed interaction from the participants, as the speakers received various questions from the audience about the future of relations among the countries of the region, the role of international cooperation in enhancing maritime security and trade, in addition to mechanisms to address environmental and economic challenges in the Indian Ocean.
Sayyid Badr affirmed that the conference represented an opportunity to enhance regional and international cooperation in the fields of maritime security, trade and sustainable development, expressing his hope that these discussions would be a starting point for more constructive partnerships and purposeful initiatives that benefit the countries and peoples of the region.
In his turn, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs, said in a statement: “During the conference, many topics were discussed on means of utilizing oceans in general and the Indian Ocean in particular to enhance partnership between all countries. The conference was also an opportunity to review the investment potential provided by the Sultanate of Oman. Bilateral meetings were held with delegations participating in the conference from more than 30 countries and private sector companies. They discussed the Omani capabilities and exchanged experiences on how to benefit from what the oceans provide and exchanged visions on some of the challenges facing maritime routes”. He pointed out that all participants agreed on the importance of enhancing cooperation and coordination in this regard.
Hosting this conference reflects Oman’s pioneering role in enhancing regional and international cooperation in the Indian Ocean. It also underlines its commitment to supporting constructive dialogue and sustainable partnerships to ensure a more prosperous future for all.
