Kazakhstan's OIC presidency: Consolidation of Islamic world may help overcome challenges

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium, Luxembourg, Head of Kazakhstan's Mission to the EU and NATO Yerik Utembayev told about the key priorities of Kazakhstan's OIC chairmanship and prospects for the development of cooperation with international and regional organizations.

According to Utembayev, Kazakhstan will assume the chairmanship in exceptionally challenging times. "The conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, instability in South and Central Asia were topped up by unprecedented unrest in the countries of the Arab East. Many of the OIC countries with great difficulty recover from the global economic crisis and recession aftermath today. As a matter of fact they have been rebounded for decades in their socio-economic development. As we may see wheat, rise, sugar and meat price hikes led to the large-scale food crisis. One and a half billion people to date suffer from hunger- these are the realities of the modern world, said Utembayev.

To that end Kazakhstan is ready to exert every effort for consolidation of the Ummah huge potential to deal with the problems it faces. Security, economic and inter-civilizations relations challenges could be overcome only if the Islamic world consolidates and sticks together.

Kazakhstan's presidency motto is Peace, Cooperation. Development.

Undoubtedly, North Africa and Middle East events pose a threat both to stability of our societies and international security. They testify to the root alterations in the global world order. Correspondingly, the problems could be solved within the framework of broad international cooperation inside OIC member countries and with the participation of the world community.

Besides, as Foreign Minister's Council chair, Kazakhstan announces its intentions to continue its energetic efforts at struggle with manifestations of Islamic phobia. Kazakhstan, a home to over 130 ethnic groups and 46 religious confessions, makes a strong contribution to this noble deed. We have succeeded in building our own model of peaceful and harmonious co-existence of various ethnic groups and religions. President Nursultan Nazarbayev initiated the unique Congress of Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions, an efficient platform for promotion of peace and accord.

As the first OIC country in charge of the OSCE, Kazakhstan held the high-level OSCE Conference on tolerance and non-discrimination with the participation of OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

The same time the political crisis in some of the Islamic countries became a threat source to global stability and security. A serious lesson of the recent events is that the every country member needs inner renewal - economic and technological, social and political, and the OIC could coordinate practice and knowledge exchange in these areas.

Today the Islamic world needs peace, education and scientific and technical development. The governments should prioritize steady development issues. These issues must be placed on the OIC agenda, Utembayev added.

He also told about the country's move to shut down the Semipalatinsk nuclear site that gave an impetus to termination of other nuclear ranges all over the world and the initiative in the field of the global nuclear disarmament.

Besides, Utembayev touched upon the development of the OIC economic constituent. The collective forces of the OIC member states for expanding trade and economic ties, development of the transit transport potential, creation of interregional markets and the world business communities' involvement into the processes of integration of the Islamic world into the global economy should come to the fore in order to build strong and stable Islamic economies.

The 7^th World Islamic Economic Forum held on June 7-9 in Astana gave a unique opportunity for strengthening partnership between the Islamic world and western business circles.

Summing up the speech, head of the Kazakh diplomatic mission highlighted that Kazakhstan regards the OIC as a key instrument for contributing to the overall development and all-round progress of the Islamic countries. Kazakhstan's active foreign policy standing reveals new opportunities for wider inter-institutional dialogue with the OIC and other international structures. Last year Kazakhstan laid down the foundation of the OIC dialogue with OSCE, CICA.

I believe that Kazakhstan's OIC presidency will contribute to expansion of mutual understanding between the European Union and the Islamic world, Utembayev said in a conclusion.