BELEK - Turkish Deputy PM Nazim Ekren urged Wednesday members of the Committee for Economic & Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to sign the OIC preferential trade protocol for the good of all member states.
Turkish State Minister who delivered the opening speech of the COMCEC meeting in the Belek town of the Southern city of Antalya drew attention to the soaring food and metal prices due to rising demand, draught and speculations.
Ekren said:
"The rise in commodity prices negatively effect many countries. Especially the soaring food prices effect underdeveloped countries the most. As it is known, while developed countries spend only 10 percent of their income on food, this rate is 80 percent for underdeveloped countries. These once again show that agriculture is not only important for their development but also for their survival. COMCEC should not remain indifferent to these developments and it should look for the underlying causes and ways to create opportunities for cooperation."
Ekren also called on COMCEC to urgently set up a group of experts to analyse the causes of the rise in commodity prices and assess the possible effects of this on member countries.
Ekren said the average growth rate of COMCEC members have been 5,84 and average export rate rose by 21 percent to reach 1,190 billion USD. He said Turkey`s exports with COMCEC members amounted to 20.2 billion USD, which constituted 18.9 percent of Turkey`s total exports.
Ekren said it was the common desire of COMCEC for its members to do more trade among themselves and make best use of their potential.

-OIC SG CALLS ON MEMBERS TO MAKE MORE DONATIONS FOR POVERTY FUND-

Also speaking at the meeting, OIC SG Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, referred to the decision taken at the OIC summit in Qatar for reduction of the debt load of the member states suggesting that the funds reserved for debt repayments should be spent on education, health services, infrastructure works or boosting the production capacity.
"Poverty in the world of Islam increases problems like ignorance, malnutrition, diseases and crimes. 26 percent of the population of COMCEC members` (roughly 285 million) lives deprived of basic needs of life. Therefore, this poverty is dreadful. It is necessary to adopt a new perspective for the solution of this problem," said Ihsanoglu.
Ihsanoglu said member states have only paid 26 percent of the amount they committed to provide for the reduction of poverty fund and urged them to contribute more to this fund.
Ihsanoglu pointed out that the global food crisis was threatening OIC members` struggle with poverty and their efforts towards economic development.
Delegates from Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Senegal, Malaysia, Kuwait, Iran, Cameroon, Pakistan, Qatar, Indonesia and Sierra Leone are attending the meeting.
The Follow-up Committee of COMCEC where activities of the World Trade Organization, cooperation among stock exchange markets, and Action Plan of Cotton Growing OIC member states` Cooperation Development Strategy for the period 2007-2011 is being discussed will end on Thursday.
(OZG-AÖ)