Sri Lanka is set to take over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) during the 23rd Council of Ministers' Meeting scheduled for October 11, 2023, in Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry in an announcement said that the association’s member states will hold discussions on collaboration in various sectors, including trade and investment, maritime safety and security, fisheries management, disaster risk management, and the blue economy, among others. The deliberations will be guided by recommendations from the 25th Committee of IORA Senior Officials being held today and tomorrow.
 
Sri Lanka will hold the chairmanship of the association from 2023 to 2025, with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh ceremoniously handing over the chairmanship to Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry.
 
The IORA, an intergovernmental organization established in 1997, comprises 23 member states and 11 dialogue partners hailing from regions surrounding the Indian Ocean.