COMSTECH is interested in further expansion of cooperation with Kazakhstan

As part of participation in the 48th session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, held on March 22-23, 2022 in Islamabad, H.E. Mr. Berik Aryn, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative to the OIC held meetings with H.E. Amb. Askar Mussinov, the OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology, and Prof. Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry, the General Coordinator of COMSTECH.

The meeting was attended by H.E. Mr. Talgat Shaldanbay, the Consul General of Kazakhstan in Jeddah and Deputy Permanent Representative to the OIC.

The parties discussed issues of interaction between Kazakhstan and COMSTECH on the implementation of some decisions of the First OIC Summit on Science and Technology held on September 10-11, 2017 in Nur-Sultan, and the achievement of the goals outlined in the Organization’s comprehensive plan “OIC STI Agenda 2026”, which was adopted by the First OIC STI Summit.

In this regard, Prof. Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry expressed the readiness of COMSTECH to participate in implementing the Kazakh initiative on the establishment of the “OIC-15 Dialogue platform,” uniting 15 leading Muslim countries in the field of science and technology to consolidate their efforts to ensure scientific and technological progress.

In his turn, Ambassador Berik Aryn briefed on the main highlights of the recent State of the Nation Address of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev entitled “New Kazakhstan: Path of Renewal and Modernization.” He emphasized that this document aims to strengthen trust between the state and citizens and provides for several changes in political and other spheres of the country’s life.

It is worth mentioning that the Government of Kazakhstan, in cooperation with COMSTECH, organized the International Scientific and Practical Conference entitled “Al-Farabi Global Forum” in December 2020 in Islamabad. The Forum became one of the concluding events of the anniversary of the outstanding scientist and thinker of the East, Abu Nasr Al-Farabi, widely celebrated in 2020 under the auspices of UNESCO in Kazakhstan and abroad.

The Forum was held under patronage and with the participation of Dr. Arif Alvi, the President of Pakistan, who is also the Chairman of COMSTECH.

Prof. Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry and his adviser Dr. Khurshid Hasanain were awarded letters of appreciation from the Minister of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan for their significant contribution to this Forum’s organization.

COMSTECH is one of the four standing committees of the OIC established by the decision of the 3rd OIC Summit, held in 1981 in Mecca.