President Nazarbayev suggests working group within OIC to render assistance to Afghanistan

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev has suggested establishing a working group within the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to render assistance to Afghanistan. "Admittedly, the Organization doesn't use to the full its capabilities to tackle drug dealing. As a result, production of Afghan heroin and drug trafficking have increased tenfold for the last decade and we haven’t employed our capabilities to help Afghan people", Nazarbayev said when speaking at the 38th sitting of the OIC Foreign Ministers Council in Astana today, June 28. "Apart from vesting the OIC's special envoy with a greater role in Afghanistan, I suggest establishing a special working group within the framework of the OIC that would get down to the question of assistance to this country", Nazarbayev offered. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organization was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco on 12th Rajab 1389 Hijra (25 September 1969). The Council of Foreign Ministers, which meets once a year, considers the means for the implementation of the general policy of the Organization. So far eleven Islamic Summit Conferences and 37 Councils of Foreign Ministers (CFM) have been held. Astana, the capital city of the Republic of Kazakhstan, hosts on 28-30 June 2011 the 38th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC Member States which is held under the motto of “peace, cooperation and development”. Kazakhstan will be chairing the organization starting from June 2011. The priority of Kazakhstan's chairmpanship will be to promote trade and economic relationships between member-countries of the OIC.