19.02.2014, Jeddah, KSA – On a visit to the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group headquarters on Wednesday, the new Secretary General of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), HE Iyad Amin Madani, underlined the importance of enhanced cooperation between the two entities and commended the significant focal role played by the IDB Group.

After the OIC Secretary General and his accompanying delegation were briefed on the development operations of the Group, the two sides discussed the ongoing cooperation and further framework to promote it. The meeting also decided on a joint meeting of the IDB-OIC executive committee within one month to review implementation of the MoU signed in 2011.

On Tuesday, the OIC Secretary General as well as Burkina Faso’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation and Guinea’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation had attended a reception at the IDB headquarters.

During the reception, the OIC Secretary General referred to the numerous challenges ahead including the issue of the occupation of Palestine, the plight of Muslims in Burma and Central Africa, the risk of sectarian conflicts, the threat of extremism, and the risk of unemployment and poverty. He stressed the need for more synergy and coordination with the IDB Group in order to reduce unemployment and poverty which are adversely affecting many member countries. He also touched upon the importance
of cultural interaction amongst the member countries calling for establishment of a fund for supporting cultural exchanges amongst the nations of the Islamic Ummah to encourage convergence and integration.

The IDB Group Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali commended the existing coordination and cooperation between the OIC and the IDB Group and praised the principal role of OIC in supporting the IDB Group since its establishment. He thanked the OIC Secretary General for attending the IDB Group High Level Regional Forum on the Group’s performance in the past 40 years and its strategy in the coming 10 years, recently held in Jeddah.