FM in Mauritius to attend Indian Ocean Conference

Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has arrived in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, to attend the 9th Indian Ocean Conference. There, he will hold bilateral meetings and seek support for Bangladesh's candidacy for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly, it is learnt.

The conference, which began in Port Louis, will bring together leaders, policymakers and experts from the Indian Ocean region to discuss regional cooperation, shared responsibilities and future governance structures on Friday (April 10).

A senior official at the Foreign Ministry told the state news agency that the Foreign Minister will hold meetings with ministers from participating countries on the sidelines of the conference.

He also said that Dhaka wants to use this platform to garner support for Bangladesh's candidacy for the presidency of the 81st UN General Assembly (2026-27).

The Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir is accompanying the Foreign Minister.

The conference is being held under the joint initiative of the India Foundation, the Government of Mauritius and the Ministry of External Affairs of India.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman left for Mauritius a series of meetings in New Delhi on Wednesday after. There, he also met with top Indian leaders.

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is also participating in the conference and is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal will also address the conference at the invitation of Jaishankar.

The Indian Ocean Conference, which began in 2016, has now become an important platform for discussing issues of mutual interest and regional cooperation with about 30 countries.