OIC Foreign Ministers to discuss formation of common market

Global terrorism, the Middle East peace process, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and UN reforms will top the agenda of the three-day event, which is to be held in Azerbaijan's capital Baku.

Osama Nugali, spokesman of the Saudi Foreign Ministry, said: "The delegation led by Dr. Nizar Obaid Madani, minister of state for foreign affairs, had left for Baku on Saturday to attend the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM)."

The Kingdom's delegation, which includes 13 senior officials, will discuss with their OIC counterparts 28 political topics with special reference to the Palestinian problem.

This year's meeting of OIC foreign ministers is significant in view of the fact that it is being held against the backdrop of major developments in Muslim countries especially in the Middle East. Issues to be addressed by the ICFM will also include Iran and its nuclear program, human rights, economic condition of the OIC member states, activities of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the OIC budget.

This session of OIC foreign ministers has an added meaning because it will pave the way for the forthcoming Islamic summit, scheduled to be held in Senegal later this year.

Referring to the participation of other OIC countries, Batu Kesmen, a spokesman of the Turkish Embassy, said that Abdullah Gul, the Turkish foreign minister, would be seeking two resolutions addressing the situation of Muslim minorities in Cyprus and Western Thrace.

Russia, which now has an observer status, will be participating for the first time in a ministerial-level OIC meeting.

A draft agenda of the ICFM obtained by Arab News said that the establishment of an Islamic common market, activities of the Islamic University of Technology as well as restructuring of the OIC are among the topics for discussion besides a number of other educational, technical, cultural and religious issues.

Referring to the arrangements made for the ICFM meeting, a spokesman of the Azerbaijan Embassy said that all information about the conference had been made available online and that the ICFM will be officially opened by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.

On the sidelines, the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation will be holding a photo exhibition and other OIC organs, like the Islamic Fiqh Academy and Islamic Solidarity Fund, will be organizing a photo exhibition and other programs.

The Islamic Conferences Youth Forum for Dialogue & Cooperation, an institution affiliated to the OIC, has also planned a series of presentations with a view to introducing youth issues into the agenda of the OIC and to brief the delegations on youth activities.

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