United States Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of the Maldives Atul Keshap will lead the U.S. delegation to the 15th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Council of Ministers meeting, held October 20-23, 2015 in Padang, Indonesia.
IORA promotes regional collaboration across the Indian Ocean rim in six key areas: maritime safety and security; trade and investment facilitation; fisheries management; disaster risk management; academic sciences and technology; and tourism and cultural exchanges. The United States has strong interest in the stability, development and security of the Indian Ocean Rim, and is working with key partners in support of collaboration, development, and dialogue across these key priorities.