<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The two-day Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) Meeting kicked off in Sylhet today.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh, the current Chair of IORA, is hosting the 13th Bi-Annual CSO Meeting of IORA on 13-14 June, an official release said here.</div><div><br></div><div>Seventy-five delegates from 23 IORA Member States and IORA Secretariat are attending the CSO, the release added.</div><div><br></div><div>They will discuss various issues relating to six priority areas and two focus areas of IORA including Maritime Safety and Security; Trade and Investment Facilitation; Fisheries Management; Disaster Risk Management; Tourism and Cultural Exchanges; Academic, Science and Technology Cooperation; Blue Economy and Women's Economic Empowerment.</div><div><br></div><div>Other important issues including institutional arrangement and broadening engagement will also be discussed.</div><div><br></div><div>Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen announced the opening of 13th Bi-Annual CSO through a video message.</div><div><br></div><div>In his speech, the foreign minister urged the member states to push forward for tapping into the tremendous amount of untapped and unexplored potential for growth and requested them to complement each other by more intense interaction, idea-sharing and enhanced cooperation.</div><div><br></div><div>Secretary, Maritime Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam made the opening remarks alongside presiding over the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>IORA Secretary General Dr Salman Al Farisi; Vice-Chair Sudharshan Seneviratne, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh; IORA past chair Ahmed Albadawi, Acting Deputy Director of Economic and Trade Affairs Department, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs also spoke at the opening session. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>