Ashraf AboArafe
The Ministry of Information represented by Oman News Agency (ONA) took part in the familiarization visit organized by the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to the media delegations of the member countries of the Organization to the Republic of India.
The six-day familiarisation visit aimed at introducing media delegations to tourist and historical landmarks, media and cultural institutions, as well as studies and research centers in the Republic of India.
The familiarisation visit’s programme included visits to several regions of India, including Delhi, the political capital of India and the historic Agra region, followed by a visit to the cities of Bangalore and Mysore in the southern state of Karnataka.
The media and journalist delegation visited various media and cultural institutions, as well as studies and research centers in the capital, including the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, the National Maritime University, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Times of India and the Energy and Resources Institute.
The delegation met with officials of these institutions, who gave a briefing to the attendees about the roles and tasks assigned to these institutions, as well as reviewing the cooperation and coordination
between IORA and the various institutions in India and among the member states.
A number of journalists and media professionals from IORA member states, namely Australia, Iran, Malaysia, Djibouti, South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Tanzania,
Mozambique and Kenya, as well as the Sultanate took part in the familiarisation visit. In addition, dialogue sessions were held for journalists and media professionals to discuss and brainstorm about the importance and mechanism of defining the roles and efforts of IORA, which seeks to expand cooperation among member countries in various economic, investment, political and tourism fields, in addition to highlighting the joint cooperation in the fields of maritime security and economics in the Indian Ocean region.
