At the 9th Conclave of Chiefs held in Visakhapatnam, India assumed the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) from Thailand for a two-year term. India returns to the post after a gap of 16 years. The Indian Navy launched IONS in 2008 to promote maritime cooperation among navies of the Indian Ocean, and the forum now counts 25 members and 9 observers. During the conclave, the Philippines was granted observer status, while Oman became part of the working group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.