Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry today leaves for a two-day visit to Mauritius from July 4-5, 2013 to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) Economic and Business Conference. The theme of the Conference is “Deepening Economic Linkages for Balanced, Inclusive & Sustainable Growth”.

The Ministerial level Conference proposes to bring together the Ministers of Commerce and Industry of the 20 IOR-ARC Member States (Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen) and the six Dialogue Partner States (China, Egypt, France, Japan, UK and USA). Eighteen IOR-ARC Trade Ministers have confirmed their participation for the Conference.

Shri Sharma would be meeting Mr. Taira Masaaki, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan and Mr. Richard Marles, Australian Trade Minister and Mr. Sayyad Abd-Al-Cader Sayed Hossen, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mauritius. Apart from this, Shri Sharma would also have bilateral meetings with Ministers from different countries on the sidelines of the Conference.

DS/RK

(Release ID :96978)

Deepening economic linkages: ministerial conference attendance and bilateral trade meetings to advance regional trade cooperation. Union Minister Shri Anand Sharma visited Mauritius to attend the IOR-ARC Economic and Business Conference focused on deepening economic linkages for balanced, inclusive and sustainable growth; eighteen Trade Ministers confirmed participation. He conducted bilateral meetings with counterpart ministers, including representatives from Japan, Australia and Mauritius, to advance bilateral trade and industry cooperation alongside the Conference.