South Africa/Indian Ocean region: the emergence of a new relationship

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Periodical article

Title:	South Africa/Indian Ocean region: the emergence of a new relationship
Author:	Venter, Denis
Year:	1996
Periodical:	L'Afrique politique
Pages:	243-259
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Indian Ocean South Africa
Subject:	international economic relations
Abstract:	South Africa is entering a new era in which, cautious not to be locked up into its regional superpower role, it tries to open up its market boundaries to countries in the Indian Ocean region. On 29 and 30 March 1995 seven States (Australia, India, Kenya, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore and South Africa) met in the Mauritian capital, Port Louis, to discuss the enhancement of cooperation among the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean. This paper describes the evolution of the woolly concept of the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR). The primary problem that plagues the IOR concept is the scope of membership of an IOR grouping. The second issue is whether security issues should be included under the ambit of such a grouping. Currently, the Indian Ocean Rim concept is still too ill-defined to lend itself to the integrative impulses of regional cooperation. Nevertheless, there are synergies in the Indian Ocean region which could be harnessed to bring about benefits for all participating countries. If security issues could be excluded, and if the IOR initiative confines itself to trade, there is tremendous potential for loosening up intraregional trade opportunities. Notes, ref., sum. in English and French (p. 9).