ICESCO-Russia: new start for cooperation

The Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, along with several officials from the Organization, met with Dr. Ramazan Abdulatipov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to OIC, and his accompanying delegation to explore cooperation prospects between ICESCO and Russia, ICESCO Observer Member, in the fields of education, science and culture.

At the outset of the meeting held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik welcomed the visiting delegation to which he reaffirmed that the Organization’s new vision promotes openness to and cooperation with all world’s countries in the Organization’s fields of competence for the benefit of Member States and Muslim communities in Non-Member States. He added that the vision seeks to ensure that Observer States play a larger role in the action of the Organization, which ushered in a new stage toward the attainment of this objective; and transmit the true image of the Islamic civilization and culture that promote world peace, hence its new modified name “Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization”.

By the same token, ICESCO Director General stated that cooperation with the Russian Federation, as an ICESCO Observer Member, is of paramount importance, thanks to the outstanding relations between Russia and the Islamic world and Russia’s progress in the areas of higher education, scientific research and new technologies and long-standing culture which tremendously contributed to human civilization. In this regard, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that ICESCO is ready to inscribe some Islamic historic sites in Russia on the Islamic World Heritage List (IWHL) which now includes 140 sites from 23 countries.

For his part, Dr. Abdulatipov lauded the new vision and its openness and the progress being made by the Organization, while expressing his delight at the meeting and the steps to be taken to coordinate the development of cooperation between Russia and ICESCO in its fields of competence and foster relations with Islamic world countries.

 In addition, Dr. Abdulatipov underlined that cooperation between Russia and ICESCO can cover higher education, modern technologies and strategic foresight given the large number of Russian scientific centers operating in the field of sustainable development and cultural fields, while reaffirming his commitment to give shape to this cooperation.

Several ICESCO officials then took the floor to stress the commitment of many sectors to cooperate with the Russian Federation and reach out to Russian technical experts to hold future meetings to agree on best modalities of cooperation. Mr. Valerian Shuvaev, Ambassador Plenipothentiary and Extraordinary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Morocco, reaffirmed that the Embassy will follow up the work with ICESCO to coordinate cooperation.

The meeting was attended from the Russian side by Mr.Vassili Tchetchine, Advisor to the Russian Embassy to Morocco, Director of the Russian Cultural Center in Rabat, and Ms. Alina Danilova, Third Secretary at the Embassy.

In attndance from ICESCO were Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Director of Extrenal Relations and Cooperation; Mr. Najib Rhiati, Director of Culture; Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of the Center of Strategic Foresight; Dr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Chief of the Department of Legal Affairs; Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Division of Dialogue and Cultural Diversity; Ms. Zineb Iraqi, Supervisor of the Center of Planning, Statistics and Assessment; Mr. Samy El Kamhawy, Supervisor of the Center of Communication; and Ms. Rime Jirari, Programme Specialist at the Directorate of External Rlations and Cooperation.