ISTANBUL - The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) Follow-up Committee's 20th Meeting started in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Making opening remarks of the meeting, Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener has said that as a forum where developments in global economy were followed and their risks and opportunities for members states' economies were evaluated, the OIC-COMCEC should accelerate its efforts to get Muslim states more closer to each other in economic and commercial fields.
Sener who heads the Turkish delegation said that it was necessary to remove obstacles in front of trade and investments and implement projects on strengthening of cooperation among member states, stating that within this framework, new proposals should be developed through efforts to seek opportunities of an increase in private sector investments.
Noting that it was pleasing that several cooperation projects which had been on the COMCEC's agenda for long years had reached the level of implementation, Sener said that framework agreement on establishment of Preferential Trade System which aimed to increase trade among OIC members had taken effect.
Stressing that another cooperation issue on the COMCEC's agenda was implementation mechanism of the Action Plan, Sener said, ''OIC Action Plan is the most basic document which includes COMCEC's economic and commercial cooperation fields and targets. Our greatest wish is implementation of targets and principles which aim to enhance and strengthen cooperation among sister countries, activating the Action Plan.''
Sener said that another issue that he considered important under efforts to increase trade among OIC members was related to utilization of existing opportunities in trade and transportation fields among members states and discussion of problems, adding that Islamic Center for Development of Trade would organize a meeting on this issue in Pakistan.
Sener said, ''securing peace and stability in our region depends on sustainable development and increase in prosperity of our peoples. With these objectives, the Turkish government will contribute to Muslim world's efforts for prosperity and development and continue supporting every initiative that increases cooperation.''
OIC was established on September 25, 1969 on the occasion of the first Conference of the Muslim World which was held in Rabat, capital of Kingdom of Morocco.
Presently, OIC operates with 55 members comprising of: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
(MS-AÖ) 11.05.2004