COMSTECH meeting: Laraki urges Islamic countries to promote science, technology
Regional, Economics, 11/20/1999

Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Azeddine Laraki urged Islamic countries to promote science and technology to bring the Muslim nation at par with advanced nations.

Laraki, who is also Coordinator General of the OIC Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation "COMSTECH," made these remarks earlier this week while presenting his report to the 9th meeting of COSMTECH, reported the Pakistani news agency APP.

Laraki said OIC countries should endeavor to promote rapid industrialization, strengthen the agricultural sector, and provide adequate health care for all, including the rural population.

He said development of adequate basic infrastructure such as energy, communication and transportation, a substantial increase in export of both manufactured goods and services, and attainment of leadership in key areas of science and technology such as biotechnology, engineering science, micro electronics, defense technology, are the need of the hour.

Laraki maintained these efforts have to be deployed in a mission-oriented and time-targeted mode for achieving a substantial increase in the Gross Domestic Product within a reasonable time frame.

Representative of Bosnia-Herzegovina to the meeting, Faik Uzunovic, said Bosnia needs the help of Islamic countries. "Bosnia-Herzegovina is in a process of transition to open market economy and the process of privatization has already begun," he told the gathering.

Mining, metallurgy, conventional defense industry, production and distribution of electric energy, wood processing, construction and building, chemistry, textile and leather, tourism, designing, engineering and consulting activities are all areas of investment in Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said.

Turkey, hit by devastating earthquakes in August and November, drew the attention of the OIC countries to the vital role of science and technology in disaster preparedness, asking the Muslim world to invest all efforts to advance in these fields for all-round progress.

Iraq asked for the Muslim world backing to end a nine-year old international sanctions, saying the unjust blockade, combined with attacks on the country, have taken a heavy toll on it.

"Your brothers in Iraq are looking forward to Islamic backing that would help put an end to the injustice imposed on them by the insistence of the American administration to keep the sanctions in the tenth year," Abdul Jabbar Tawfiq, Iraqi Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research said at the COMSTECH meeting.

Tawfiq said the US war against his country was actually meant to destroy its achievements in science and technology.

Amadou Tidiane Hane who presented a report on issues concerning science and technology on behalf of OIC Secretary General urged Islamic countries to take efficient measures to control the devastating damage caused by pollution emanating from toxic waste which brings about climatic changes along with the degradation of biological and socio- economic conditions. President of the Islamic Development Bank, Ahmad Mohamed Ali assured that the bank would continue its cooperation with member countries to meet the challenges of next millennium for fostering scientific and technological development.

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