FM arrives in Mauritius for Indian Ocean conf

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman arrived in Port Louis to attend the 9th Indian Ocean Conference, where he is expected to hold bilateral meetings and seek support for Bangladesh’s bid for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly.

The conference, which began on Friday in the Mauritian capital, has brought together leaders, policymakers and experts from across the Indian Ocean region to discuss regional cooperation, shared responsibilities and future governance frameworks.

A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the adviser is likely to meet counterparts from participating countries on the sidelines of the event.

“He is expected to hold meetings with ministers of participating nations during the conference,” the official said.

Dhaka is also looking to utilise the platform to garner support for its candidacy for the presidency of the 81st session (2026-27) of the United Nations General Assembly.

Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Humayun Kabir is accompanying Rahman during the visit.
The conference is jointly organised by the India Foundation, the Government of Mauritius and India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

Rahman travelled to Mauritius after concluding a series of meetings in New Delhi on Wednesday, where he also held discussions with senior Indian leaders and talked on various bilateral issues between the two countries.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also attending the conference and is scheduled to deliver a keynote address.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is expected to speak at the event at Jaishankar’s invitation.

Launched in 2016, the Indian Ocean Conference has evolved into a key platform involving nearly 30 countries, focusing on issues of mutual interest and regional cooperation.