Rahmon: OIC countries face global challenges
DUSHANBE. Oct 27 (Interfax) - Many member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are dealing with high poverty levels and shortages of drinking water and electric power although the OIC possesses 70% of world oil reserves, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon said on Monday.
He spoke at the opening ceremony of the First Investment Forum on OIC Plan of Action for Cooperation with Central Asia in Dushanbe.
"Negative implications of global challenges are threatening many member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation," Rahmon said.
"These challenges include consequences of the global financial and economic crisis, high poverty levels, limited access to freshwater, food and electric power, shortcomings in education and healthcare, spreading infectious diseases, climate change and rapidly altering world and regional trends," the Tajik leader underscored.
The Dushanbe forum aims at mobilizing and activating internal resources of OIC member countries for the benefit of all members of the organization.
"Such impermissible transnational phenomena as terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, kidnapping and organized crime should be mentioned amongst other challenges to OIC member countries," Rahmon said.
OIC member countries are experiencing these problems although "nearly 70% of world oil reserves and 50% of world natural gas reserves are located on territories of OIC states, which confirms their important position in the world economy," he noted.
The president called on the OIC uniting 57 nations to pool efforts for solving common problems.
Delegates of Central Asian members of the OIC and representatives of the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) are participating in the Dushanbe forum, which will last for two days.
