Dhaka for greater ties among OIC states
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni yesterday called for advancing peace and development through greater cooperation among the OIC member states based on the ideals of compassion, justice, dignity, tolerance and unity.
She made the call while addressing the Council of Foreign Ministers of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Dipu Moni, in her statement at the 38th session of the council, also stressed the need for enhancing intra-OIC trade and reducing resource gap between the developed and developing countries.
In the context of the ongoing political turmoil in some OIC countries in the Middle-East and North Africa, she emphasised meeting the legitimate needs of the people by ensuring good governance and socio-economic development.
The foreign minister urged the international community, particularly the Quartet, to force Israel to stop its unlawful activities and create an atmosphere to establish an independent state of Palestine on its pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital in the interest of world peace and security.
During the meeting, she handed over the Instrument of Ratification of the TPS-OIC Rules of Origin to the secretary general. The Trade Preferential System (TPS) of the OIC came into force with Bangladesh's ratification of this protocol. With the Trade Preferential System and related protocols in force, the intra-OIC trade is now expected to gain momentum, said a press release.
The meeting also provided the opportunity for Bangladesh to engage the OIC states in addressing the adverse impact of climate change.
On the sideline of the meeting, a special committee scrutinised the scope of cooperation among member states in the area of climate change on the basis of a concept paper submitted by Bangladesh.
Dipu Moni also held bilateral meetings with Malaysian and Oman foreign ministers and requested them for importing more manpower from Bangladesh and investment in Bangladesh in energy, tourism and ago-based industry sectors.
She also called on Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, British Cabinet Minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, and the OIC secretary general and dwelled on bilateral and international matters of common concern.
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