Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held two separate meetings with the respective Ministers of Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The meetings focused on ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and the two countries in educational fields through the joint implementation of a number of initiatives, programs, projects and activities.

The two meetings took place in Muscat, on the sidelines of the Third ICESCO Education Ministers Conference, held by the Organization in cooperation with the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman, and in coordination with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The Conference was held on October 2-3, 2024, under the theme: “Beyond the Transforming Education Summit: From Commitments to Actions”, and saw high-level participation.

During the two meetings, Dr. AlMalik stressed the Organization’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with its Member States, as part of its new vision and strategic orientations, in all areas of the Organization’s competence, especially education.

The DG also held a meeting with Mr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister of Education and Vocational Training in Pakistan, and together they discussed the latest developments of cooperation between ICESCO and Pakistan in education, training and scholarships.

The meeting focused on a set of proposals for cooperation between ICESCO and Pakistan in areas of common interest. At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to sustain coordination to implement a number of these proposals.

During his meeting with Alireza Kazemi, Minister of Education of Iran, and his accompanying delegation, the Director General explained that the Organization attaches great importance to supporting the efforts of its Member States in developing their educational systems, in accordance with the orientations and needs of each country.

For his part, the Iranian Minister praised the success of the ICESCO Education Ministers Conference and the Organization’s roles in supporting the efforts of its Member States in its areas of competence. The meeting discussed a number of ideas for joint cooperation between ICESCO and Iran, agreeing to work on examining and implementing some of them.