Kazakhstan to host OIC meet in June, no invite for KMR separatists

Astana, Kazakhstan, Apr 24: Kazakhstan will host the 38th Session of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in capital Astana from June 28-30 mainly to discuss the crisis in the Arab World and will not invite Kashmiri separatists, the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov said here.

Mr Umarov told UNI that all the 57 member-countries would be invited to attend the meet which would be "the first of its kind".

Asked whether Kashmiri separatists would also be invited, Mr Umarov said they would not be invited.

Kashmiri separatists are a regular participants of the OIC meets.

"We are not going to take up such (Kashmir) issues...

Real necessity for Islamic countries is to modernize," he added.

Officials said the Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations of the OIC Member States will discuss a wide range of political, economic, cultural and other issues of interest to Member States, including Palestine and the Middle East, Implications of Islamophobia, ten-Year Program of Action, Statutory, Organic and General Matters, Legal Affairs, Conditions of Muslim Minorities and Communities in non-OIC Member States, Information Affairs, Administrative and Financial Affairs, and Humanitarian Affairs.

They will adopt, in addition to Astana Declaration, a set of resolutions on these issues.

The country will also host the next Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana.

Although a secular State, Kazakhstan has nevertheless historically considered itself part of the global Muslim community.

For that matter, Astana desires to further expand mutually advantageous cooperation with Islamic countries and is committed to more active engagement in the OIC activities during its leadership in 2011.

Source: New Kerala.
Link: http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-195796.html.