Admin I Monday, November 04, 2024
JEDDAH – President of the Republic of Turkiye, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the most powerful reply to Israel’s aggression on Gaza and Lebanon is for more nations to recognize the State of Palestine.
Tayyip Erdogan who spoke in his capacity as the Chairman of the OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), drew attention to the ongoing genocidal situation in Palestine and Lebanon, stressing that one of the most powerful responses to the Israeli aggression against Gaza and Lebanon would be for more states to officially recognize the State of Palestine.
Within this context, he called for an immediate cease-fire and allowing humanitarian aid to reach the people of Palestine. He further stated that it is crucial for the Islamic world to set aside differences and unite in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese people in their rightful struggle against the occupation by Israel.
Touching the global economic situation, President Erdogan called for enhancing and deepening the existing cooperation and collaboration among Member States. By strengthening cooperation and sharing innovative solutions, Member States can address shared challenges, ultimately enhancing economic resilience and driving sustainable growth across the OIC countries.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the 40th Ministerial Session of COMCEC, His Excellency Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), emphasized COMCEC’s vital role in fostering economic cooperation among Member States. Speaking about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Secretary-General condemned in strongest terms the ongoing Israeli aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people, and called for urgent international intervention to protect civilians and restore peace.
While outlining the various OIC initiatives towards consolidating socio-economic cooperation among the Member States in addressing development challenges, the Secretary-General highlighted significant progress in trade exchanges among the Member States and stressed the importance of effective implementation of trade programs and projects to achieve the 25% intra-OIC trade target by 2025.
The Secretary-General also emphasized the need to further enhance intra-OIC cooperation in the food and agriculture sector, especially supporting rural people in the Least Developed Countries of the Organization. Furthermore, the Secretary-General stressed the need for greater cooperation and collaboration of all OIC Member States and institutions to achieve the lofty objectives for which the OIC was established.
The Session reviewed the status of implementation of various projects of OIC in the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, tourism and finance, Private Sector, and poverty alleviation among others. The 40th Ministerial Session of COMCEC is scheduled to conclude its work on 5th November, 2024.
COMCEC is an OIC Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation, which meets annually to review OIC activities in the area of economic and trade development.
