SINGAPORE - Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam on Thursday attended the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) 14th Council of Ministers Meeting in Perth, Australia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The meeting reviewed the progress made by IORA since the last meeting in 2013, and discussed future directions and initiatives to advance the interests of IORA and its members, according to the statement.

Mr Shanmugam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Coordination and Cooperation of Search and Rescue Services in the Indian Ocean Region, and a revised IORA Charter.

He also took the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with delegations from Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and the US on the sidelines of the Council of Ministers Meeting.