'Korea-Indian Ocean Rim Association' Partnership Seminar... Exploring Synergies in the New Southern Policy

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea National Diplomatic Academy, and Korea International Trade Association Jointly Host

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The first Korea-Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Partnership Seminar will be held on the 29th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, and the Korea International Trade Association.

IORA is a regional consultative forum for economic and social cooperation among Indian Ocean coastal countries, and Korea joined as a dialogue partner in November 2018.

The 'Korea-IORA Partnership Seminar,' held for the first time this year, is a 1.5-track consultative body proposed by the Korean side at the 19th IORA Ministerial Meeting held last November to expand information exchange and identify practical cooperation areas with IORA member states and the Secretariat. Officials from IORA member states, the Secretariat, and Korean government, academia, and business sectors are expected to attend.

Considering the difficulty of IORA member officials visiting Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seminar will be held in a hybrid format with video presentations by IORA member state academics and government officials, alongside on-site attendance by domestic participants. It can be watched live on the official YouTube channel of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA Live).

The seminar, themed "Navigating the Indian Ocean and People-Centered Peace and Prosperity in the Pandemic Era," will explore the intersection between Korea's New Southern Policy and IORA, and discuss non-traditional security centered on the Blue Economy, as well as digital trade and investment cooperation measures that have gained attention post-COVID-19.

The Blue Economy is a concept that seeks to develop the potential of the ocean and realize a sustainable marine economy by separating economic growth from environmental degradation through planned marine management and eco-friendly technologies. Most IORA member countries, which are heavily dependent on the ocean economically, socially, and culturally, take an active stance in Blue Economy discussions to prevent marine environmental degradation caused by indiscriminate industrialization and climate change.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "This seminar is expected to contribute not only to enhancing friendly cooperative relations between Korea and the Indian Ocean community countries by providing a platform for policy and academic exchanges between Korea and IORA, but also to diversifying our diplomatic policy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.