OIC`s Ihsanoglu calls for boosting economic and intra-OIC trade relations

Jeddah, March 03, SPA -- The Secretary General of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who is
in Jakarta to attend the two-day proceedings of the 5th World Islamic
Economic Forum (WIEF) that began yesterday said "this Forum is a
generator of ideas on sustainable, concrete and comprehensive actions
that bring economic, political and social betterment of Muslims all
over the world."

In an address at the opening ceremony, the Secretary General said
that the main pillars of the OIC economic agenda are to achieve
higher levels of development, prosperity of the Islamic countries and
fostering economic and trade relations among them."

Ihsanoglu noted that the OIC's Ten-Year Programme of Action has
prioritized the increase of intra-OIC trade level from 14.5% in 2004
to 20% in 2015. "As such, the share of the OIC Member States in the
global GDP is increasing and that there has been a steady increase in
intra-OIC trade in the course of recent years as it rose to 16.67% in
2008 from its 14.5% level in 2004, " he was quoted as saying by an
OIC Press Release.

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