OIC Chief concludes visit to Tunisia

Jeddah, November 03, SPA -- The Secretary General of the Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has
concluded a visit to Tunisia, during which he attended the opening of
the International Congress on the ‘Employment of Traditional
Handicrafts within Architectural Projects.’


During the inauguration ceremony of the Congress on Saturday, which
was also attended by the Tunisian Minister of Trade & Handicrafts
Ridha Touiti, the OIC Secretary General emphasized the need to pay
greater attention to our heritage and the real capabilities of our
societies to achieve development and face up to economic crises that
rock the world today.


During his visit, a press release of the OIC issued on Sunday said
Ihsanoglu held meetings with a number of officials in Tunisia,
notably with Foreign Minister Abdul Wahab Abdullah. The two officials
discussed the best ways of strengthening relations between the OIC
and Tunisia.


The Secretary General expressed the OIC's desire to build
cooperation relations with the Arab Maghreb Union in line with
cooperation relations already established with other regional
groupings.


The Secretary General also met with the Minister for Religious
Affairs, Abu Bakr Al-Akhzouri, with whom he discussed the possible
areas and the prospects of developing cooperation, particularly in
relation to the unification of the Hejri calendar. The two officials
confirmed their mutual desire to find a way to identify a sound
scientific method to unify the beginning of the Islamic lunar months
and the date of religious celebrations.