12TH IOR-ARC MEETING STARTED IN SANA'A

SANA'A, Oct. 05 (Saba)- The 12th meeting of the Indian Ocean
Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) started in
Sana'a which was being organized by Yemen's ministry of transport
and General Authority for Navy Affairs for period from 5th to 8th
October.

Delegations from Australia, France, India, South Africa, Kenya,
Mauritius, Tanzania, Sudan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the
meeting in addition to Yemen.

The four-day meeting would discuss several papers related to
inspection activities in the Indian Ocean and mutual cooperation
between the member countries as well as budget of the forum.

In the opening session, the minister of transport Ibrahim al-Wazir
affirmed concern of the Yemeni government to participate actively in
this meeting, pointing out to the navigation capacities of Yemen.

The minister said that the government of Yemen concerns to cooperate
and coordinate with countries at regional and international level to
face all risks in the sea.The Indian Ocean Rim-Association for
Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), initially known as the Indian Ocean
Rim Initiative, is an international organization with 18 member
states. It was first established in Mauritius on March 1995 and
formally launched on 6-7 March 1997.

The Association disseminates information on trade and investment
regimes, with a view to helping the region's business community
better understand the impediments to trade and investment within the
region. These information exchanges have been intended to serve as a
base to expand intra-regional trade.

AH