What is the Indian Ocean Rim Association?

THE INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION:

* Twenty countries in the Indian Ocean region are the members

* Six countries including China, Japan and the US are dialogue partners

* Half of the world's container ships, a third of the world's bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of the world's oil shipments travel through the region

* It has six priority areas: maritime safety and security, disaster risk management, trade and investment, fisheries management, academic, science and technology cooperation, and tourism and cultural exchanges

* This year's meeting marks the handover of IORA chairmanship from Australia to Indonesia for the next two years

- A summit-level meeting for IORA heads of state will be held in March 2017 for the group's 20th anniversary.