Ihsanoglu: Iran-OIC Co-op Positive

Tehran, Jan 1, IRNA -- the outgoing Secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu said on Tuesday that Iran-OIC cooperation had been positive during his 9-year tenure. Speaking to Iranˈs Ambassador and Permanent Envoy to the OIC, Hamid-Reza Dehqani in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, Ihsanoglu thanked Iranian nation, government, foreign minister and former foreign ministers for their cooperation with him during his term of office. He wished success for Iran in various regional and international arenas. After providing vibrant leadership and a new direction of “solidarity in action” to the OIC for nearly a decade, Ihsanoglu stepped down on Tuesday as secretary general of the Organization. Saudi former Minister of Haj and Culture and Information Iyad Madani will succeed him for the next five years. In his speech at a grand function, organized in Jeddah on Sunday evening to bid him farewell and welcome Madani as the new chief of OIC, Ihsanoglu summed up his activities and major achievements in his eventful nine-year tenure after joining OIC as its first elected secretary general in January 2005. “OIC is now being recognized as a global actor in international affairs and an agent of modernization and moderation in the Islamic world. I travelled east, west, north and south, and circled around the globe 62 times, but never have I lost sight of OIC’s vision and mission. …. My mind was attached to the work being done at the OIC general secretariatˈs follow up of the developments for the causes of the Muslim world and actions that I have to carry out in this regard with my colleagues. OIC has always been our priority and our utmost interest was in work.” Ihsanoglu said his focus, from the very beginning, was on increasing the efficiency and accuracy of both policies and activities of OIC to achieve success in tackling the unprecedented challenges facing the Muslim Ummah in the 21st century. For this, a reform process was launched translating the concept of “solidarity in action” with three objectives in hand — reform within OIC, reorganizing OIC to meet the challenges through modernization, and establishing OIC’s position as a major player in international affairs. Referring to the achievements in the political field, he said, “OIC changed its traditional approach and adopted its own dynamic method in many issues.ˈ It was under Ihsanoglu that OIC changed its name and logo, and initiated in 2005 an ambitious 10-year Program of Action. In the economic field, achievements include increasing the volume of intra-OIC trade from $205 billion in 2004 to $742 billion in 2012. Under the dynamic leadership of Ihsanoglu, OIC established several organs, including the Islamophobia Observatory, the Women Development Organization, and Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission. His role was tremendous in building the image of OIC and opening it up to the international community, and the last initiative in this regard was his recent historic visit to the Vatican and meeting Pope Francis. Referring to his future plans, Ihsanoglu said, “As my mandate comes to an end, I wish to reaffirm that I would continue for the rest of my life to be conscious and sincere to the concerns and problems of the Muslim Ummah. However, I would also like to say as the burden of responsibility is shifting to competent hands and from my shoulders to stronger ones, the feeling is one of happiness and satisfaction.” /end