Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, will host the 43rd session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers from Oct. 18 to 19.

The OIC’s director general of political affairs, Tariq Ali Bakhiet, indicated that Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah will preside over the inaugural session and welcome the interim president of Uzbekistan, Shavket Mirziyoyev.

Mirziyoyev will then deliver a statement followed by OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani, who will present in his statement the OIC’s views of the challenges ahead in terms of political, security, economic, cultural and social developments as well as humanitarian work.

According to the program, this will be followed by the handing over of the council’s chairmanship to the foreign minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov, who will also deliver a statement on the occasion.

The inaugural session will also witness a debate on the theme of the session: “Education and Enlightenment: the Path to Peace and Creativity.” Tthe OIC Center for Dialogue, Peace and Understanding will be officially launched at the inaugural session in a special ceremony.

Bakhiet pointed out that key among the resolutions to be considered by the council are those relating to the Palestine issue, the situation in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic, in addition to the issues of Muslim communities in non-OIC states, particularly in Myanmar. The meeting will also examine important resolutions about combating terrorism, radicalism, disarmament and countering Islamophobia.

The second day of the proceedings will witness the adoption of resolutions already approved at the preparatory meetings that were held at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah. The resolutions cover political, humanitarian and economic affairs as well as the OIC program up to 2025, in addition to the legal and other matters of information, science and technology, information technology, cultural and social affairs, women’s affairs, and dialogue and outreach.

A special brainstorming session will also be held under the title of “Increasing opportunities and boosting the creative capacities of the younger generations.” The meeting will conclude with the issuing of the “Tashkent Declaration”.

[vuukle]