As India is slated to handover the chair of Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) to Australia by towards the end of this year, it will be one of the last opportunity to conclude its activity by boosting trade relations in the region.

The Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma left for a two-day visit to Mauritius on Wednesday to attend the IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference. The theme of the Conference is “Deepening Economic Linkages for Balanced, Inclusive & Sustainable Growth”.

The Ministerial level Conference proposes to bring together the trade ministers of the 20 IOR-ARC Member States - Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen - and the six Dialogue Partner States namely China, Egypt, France, Japan, UK and US). Eighteen IOR-ARC trade ministers have confirmed their participation for the Conference.

Sharma would be meeting Parliamentary Vice Minister for Economy, Trade & Industry of Japan Taira Masaaki , Australian Trade Minister Richard Marles and Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection of Mauritius Sayyad Abd-Al-Cader Sayed Hossen. Sharma would also have bilateral meetings with trade ministers from other countries on the sidelines of the Conference.