UAE - Pakistan expects highest level participation at 48th OIC CFMs meeting in Islamabad: Ambassador Afzaal Mahmood

By Muhammad Aamir

ABU DHABI, 2nd March, 2022 (WAM) -- Pakistan's top diplomat in the UAE has said that his country expects the highest level of participation at the 48th Session of OIC- Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) in Islamabad on 22nd and 23rd of March.

'We expect all OIC countries would be participating at the highest level because it is taking place at a challenging time and we have so many issues to address together and to tap the potential of the cooperation,' the Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE, Afzaal Mahmood told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) in an interview at the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, where he announced that Pakistan will play host to the meeting.

'Many of our countries are helping each other, and cooperating in the spirit of South-South cooperation.' South-South cooperation refers to the technical cooperation among developing countries in the Global South.

Ambassador Mahmood said he is looking forward to a productive outcome of the meeting themed 'partnerning in unity, justice and development'.

'There is a great potential among the OIC member countries for trade, investment and cultural cooperation,' he added.

He went on to say the meeting's theme covers almost everything that the Foreign Ministers of all OIC countries should be discussing on behalf of their governments and on for the collective benefits of all Muslims.

'They will be discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern and they would have an opportunity to interact with each other and discuss bilateral cooperation,' he said, adding, that the most important thing they will be talking about is 'unity which is needed more than ever in this world'.

The OIC-CFM is coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Pakistan Independence Day celebrations, and the participating Foreign Ministers in the OIC-CFM will be invited to attend the Pakistan Day parade as 'guest of honour', he added.

'We look forward to welcoming OIC Foreign Ministers to Pakistan on this 'special' occasion. Foreign Ministers will be guests of honour on our 75th Anniversary Celebrations,' Ambassador Afzaal said, and also informed that the UAE has confirmed its participation.

According to him, Pakistan and the UAE enjoy a 'very pleasant relationship and discuss all issues regularly', and he presented the invitation to the UAE Minister of State, to participate in the meeting.

Pakistan has hosted the OIC CFMs on four occasions: 2nd Session in December 1970, 11th Session in May 1980, 21st Session in April 1993, and the 34th Session in May 2007. The 1st and the 17th Extraordinary Sessions of the OIC CFM, were held in Islamabad, in January 1980 and December 2021, respectively.

'The Session will also provide an opportunity to take stock of, and review the decisions taken during the 17th Extraordinary Session, to alleviate the urgent humanitarian situation in Afghanistan,' the Ambassador earlier told a media briefing.

'We have been encouraging the international community to support people of Afghanistan to avert a humanitarian crisis there and we are thankful to all those countries who have shared the responsibility of supporting Afghan refugees including the UAE.'

The UAE participated in the 17th session of the Emergency Meeting of the OIC CFM, which was convened in Islamabad in December, 2021, to discuss the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

'We have been encouraging the international community to support people of Afghanistan to avert a humanitarian crisis there and we are thankful to all those countries who have shared the responsibility of supporting Afghan refugees including the UAE,' the Ambassador said.

Pakistan is the founding member of OIC, the second largest organisation after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents.

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