He says the interest of other governments and countries in being part of the dialogue partner is also growing.

"Now we have 11 countries, with Saudi Arabia just entering in our family. And soon we'll also have the European Union as part of the family. So it's growing, it's very dynamic."

Al-Farisi says one of the challenges is climate change.

"We hear from a colleague from the uh African member states that they are really concerned with the climate change that leads not only to environmental issues but also to some strategic issues related to crime and some uh activities that jeopardize the development of this region. So, I think that is something we need to address."

"Food security is also very important for us to address. And the other thing that IORA should address is the health issue because, so far, there is no available platform yet to address the issue of health at the organization."

The IORA has recently concluded its High-Level Strategic Dialogue in Mauritius.

IORA was founded in 1997.

The vision for IORA originated during a visit by the late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa to India in 1995, where he said: "The natural urge of the facts of history and geography should broaden itself to include the concept of an Indian Ocean rim for socio-economic co-operation."

Since then, the regional forum has worked on promoting cooperation and closer interaction between the 23 member states.

--ChannelAfrica--