BENGALURU:On the sidelines of Aero India 2021 that concluded last week, India’s Defence Ministry hosted a conclave of defence ministers of countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) that saw the participation of over two dozen nations. Among the attendees was Richard Rakotonirina, the Defence Minister of Madagascar. “We consider IOR as a crucial geopolitical area for economy, commerce, cultural exchanges,” he told StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale in an exclusive interview, adding that it’s “vital to maintain the region as a zone of peace and prosperity”.