Ekmeleddin Ikhsanoglu: Trade with Bashkiria is as interesting for us as the religious debates

The Islamic Conference Organization intends to develop economic relations with Bashkortostan, the general secretary of this organization M-r Ekmeleddin Ikhsanoglu said to journalists after opening of the IV international symposium “Islamic civilization in Volga-Ural region” in Ufa.

“Our organization doesn’t concentrate its activity exclusively on the problems of Islam, found under discussion today” – he said – “The Islamic Conference Organization is the second international community after the United Nations Organization, consisting of 57 states and five states-observers, including Russia, and cooperation in all spheres is of high importance for us – in science, education, culture, economics and new technologies, so it is as interesting for us to trade with Bashkiria as to discuss the religious problems. At present time the commodity circulation between the Islamic Conference Organization’s countries makes up 16% of the world commodity turnover and by 2020 we intend to make this showing at the level of 20%”.

M-r Ikhsanoglu pins high hopes on his visit to Ufa.

“Establishment of the relations with the Russian regions is one of our prior aims” – he said – “In one’s time I struggled for Russia to be included into the list of the state-observers under the Islamic Conference Organization and initiated the first international symposium concerning development of Islam in Volga-Ural zone in 2001, discussed possible spheres of cooperation between our organization and Russia with Vladimir Putin in 2006 and with Dmitry Medvedev in 2008. All that already brings certain results and I am sure the meeting with the Bashkir leadership opens new possibilities for cooperation both for Russia and the Islamic Conference Organization”.