Seoul:South Korea has signed an agreement with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) to enhance collaboration in maritime and food security sectors.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the foreign ministry announced that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Korea-IOC Cooperation Fund has been established. This MOU aims to create a framework for the cooperation fund, initiated this year, to ensure its effective utilization.
The agreement will facilitate Seoul's pursuit of cooperative projects in areas of high demand within the Indian Ocean region, including maritime security, climate change response, fisheries, and food security. The ministry emphasized their commitment to strengthening the monitoring and oversight of these projects.
The IOC is a regional organization that includes four African island states: Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, and Comoros, along with France, which is represented by its overseas department of Reunion. South Korea holds observer status in the IOC, alongside other nations and organizations such as Japan, China, India, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).