The president, Zillur Rahman, has called for concerted actions of the leaders of Muslim nations to face the challenges caused by climate change, food insecurity and the current economic crisis. ‘Our common objective is to build a strong, prosperous and self-reliant economy for the Muslim states, which needs collective and consolidated efforts,’ he said while addressing the Economic Summit of COMCEC (Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation) under the Organisation of the Islamic Conference at Four Season hotel in Istanbul on Monday.

The COMCEC organised the Economic Summit marking its 25th anniversary, which was presided over by its chairman president of Turkey Abdullah Gul and attended by 11 presidents, three vice-presidents and six prime ministers and number of ministers of 57 OIC member countries. The summit was crowned by presidents of Afghanistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Syria, Sierra Leone, Somali, Guinea Bissau, Qatar, United Comore Komolar, Kyrgyzstan and Kuwait, vice-presidents of Bahrain, Iraq and Gambia and prime ministers of Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Guinea, Palestine and Mauritania.

The major goal of the summit is to increase trade and economic cooperation among the OIC member countries amid the ongoing global economic crisis. At the summit, the leaders of the OIC member countries also expressed their opinions in favour of increasing bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the OIC countries as well as boost up south to south trade and commerce relations. The summit was inaugurated by the welcome speech of the Turkish president which was followed by the statement of the OIC secretary general, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and speeches of the heads of state and the government. At his speech, the Bangladesh president said it was important to exploit the full potentials of resources of OIC member countries by enhancing intra-OIC economic cooperation and commercial activities. ‘It is regrettable that despite our excellent political relations, intra-OIC trade is still insignificant,’ he said, adding, ‘Therefore, we need to focus on meaningful engagement in areas of economic cooperation, trade, science and technology, agriculture, rural development.’

Zillur said there were many common and complementary factors in the economies of OIC member states for mutually beneficial cooperation. ‘We must make the best use of these opportunities for the benefit of our peoples,’ he pointed out. He said due to current global economic recession like other countries, Bangladesh had also been witnessing decline of various economic index like remittances, trade earning, credit, crunch in employment market at home and abroad and flow of foreign direct investment and stagnant ODA. ‘It is, therefore, critical that OIC re-energises COMCEC as a mechanism for supporting each other in such crisis,’ he said. Mentioning that Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change despite its contributions to this global menace is insignificant.

Development efforts of Bangladesh have been severely frustrated by the devastating impacts of natural disasters, which are hurting with increased frequency and severity, Zillur said. The president said frequent natural calamities were threatening the country’s development gains as well as efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals. ‘The erratic pattern of flood, cyclone and drought is posing particular threat to our food security,’ he added. The president hoped that the summit would usher in new opportunities, provide guidance and show the avenues for increased economic cooperation for the betterment of countries of OIC and it people. ‘We as leaders of the Muslim nations, must accomplish the tasks for our people and for posterity, let us collectively face the challenges with our wisdom, sagacity and vision,’ Zillur said. Mentioning that Bangladesh joined the OIC in 1974 under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Bangladesh president said since then the country had remained at the forefront of all OIC activities.

The Turkish president said as per the purpose of COMCEC to promote economic and commercial cooperation among the OIC countries, it had taken initiative to establish trade preferential system, trade financing, promotion of government among the private sector institutions. ‘At present where concerted action in dealing with climate change, food and financial crisis became a necessity, we need to develop COMCEC cooperation in a way that would present the good examples and convey to the world the peaceful message inherent in the Islamic civilization,’ he said.

-New Age