1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK) held the 6th ROK-IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) Partnership Seminar in Seoul on July 3, 2025.

※ The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is a regional forum founded in 1997 at the initiative of India and South Africa to foster economic and social cooperation among Indian Ocean littoral states. The ROK became one of its Dialogue Partners in 2018.

※ Member States (23): India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Iran, Yemen, Oman, South Africa, Kenya, Somalia, Madagascar, the UAE, Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, the Seychelles, the Comoros, France

※ Dialogue Partners (12): The ROK, the United States, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Egypt, Türkiye, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the European Union

2. The ROK-IORA Partnership Seminar is a track 1.5 platform for policy and academic exchanges proposed by the ROK at the 19th Meeting of the IORA Council of Ministers (November 2019, Abu Dhabi). It aims to deepen mutual understanding and seek practical cooperation in IORA’s priority areas.

3. This seminar was held under the theme of Navigating the Future: Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) for a Resilient Blue Economy, bringing together offline participants including representatives from IORA Members’ embassies* in the ROK, researchers, academics and private-sector experts, as well as online participants such as the IORA Secretary General and officials of the IORA Secretariat and governments of Member and Dialogue Partner States.

* Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Kenya, India, Oman, Australia, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Russia, Türkiye

4. Oh Jin-hee, Deputy Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered opening remarks, emphasizing that MSP is a strategic tool with which to balance development and conservation, as well as a core element for a sustainable Indian Ocean. She also stated that with the ROK-Indian Ocean Cooperation Fund (KICF) established this year, Korea will pursue cooperation projects to deliver tangible benefits to IORA Member States.

5. IORA Secretary General Sanjiv Ranjan, in his congratulatory remarks (video), expressed appreciation for the ROK’s cooperation efforts and leadership in the Indian Ocean region. He described the seminar as a model for building inclusive regional partnerships for achieving Vision 2030*. Emphasizing that MSP is essential for the sustainable use of marine resources and the conservation of marine ecosystems, he stated IORA’s intention to support its Member States in developing systematic MSP.

* IORA Vision 2030 and Beyond : A document adopted at the 23rd Meeting of the IORA Council of Ministers (October 2023), presenting a strategic vision for achieving a “peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean”

6. Participants shared their respective countries’ policies and experiences on MSP and smart aquaculture for realizing the blue economy, while also discussing policy directions, regional cooperation challenges, and science- and technology-based solutions for a stronger ecosystem resilience.

7. This seminar is considered to have served as a valuable opportunity to reaffirm a shared understanding and potential for realizing a sustainable Indian Ocean.