22nd Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) 17 November 2021   Statement by H.E. Dr. Hossein AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran   In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful   Your Excellency, My Dear Brother Abul Kalam Abdul Momen The Honorable Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, It is a great honor for me to confer with your Excellency and other fellow ministers at the Council of Ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). I would like to convey my gratitude to the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh as the rotating chair of the IORA and for hosting this meeting.  I am also grateful to the IORA Secretariat for preparatory work for this meeting. Dear Fellow Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,   More than two decades of active work and cooperation within the framework of IORA have increasingly revealed its huge capacities for economic cooperation among Member States. The prospect for cooperation in IORA is as wide and promising as the Indian Ocean’s huge blessings and endowment for the coastal states. The Islamic Republic of Iran is aware of this enormous potential for regional cooperation and is determined to expand and deepen relations with this Association. We have recently reinforced the national coordination mechanism for IORA through which various Iranian line ministries and bodies have reinvigorated their effective participation in eight IORA priorities and clusters for cooperation. At the latest development, Iran's Vice-President For Women and Family Affairs has volunteered to assume the role as the coordinator of the IORA cross-cutting area of "Women's Economic Empowerment". Moreover, the Tehran-based IORA Regional Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (IORA-RCSTT) continues to enjoy the strong support of the Islamic Republic of Iran.   Excellencies,    The world is grappling with the Covid-19 challenge and its devastating consequences. The brilliant peoples of IORA region have been also affected by this disaster. The noble nation of Iran has been struggling with the Coronavirus at a time when the Country's economic and financial capability has been severely affected by the restrictions caused by illegitimate and cruel US sanctions. The lifting of sanctions and  restoration  of Iran's rights will not only render positive economic and humanitarian impacts, but will undoubtedly lead to a stronger and more effective presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in regional arrangements, including IORA. Inshallah. I would like to conclude by congratulating the incoming IORA Secretary General and appreciate the sincere efforts of the Acting Secretary General over the past year. Thank you for your kind attention.