Kazakh President proposes creation of Islamic G-20

The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has proposed the creation of a forum comprising 15 advanced countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, fashioned after the G-20 format.

"I think we need to create a forum, like G-20, an informal group for the development of science and economy in the Islamic world. From the advanced 15 states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, we could create an OIC-15. Because the development of science and technology is very important for us and in this regard, we must continue to develop fruitful co-operation with Western countries. This will facilitate the development of the entire Islamic world. We must develop relations between the Islamic religion and the representatives of other religions, therefore, we should hold such forums regularly, as these meetings bring the Islamic world closer to the West," the Kazakh President said at the first OIC Summit on Science and Technology, held in Astana, on Sunday.

He urged the participants to abandon stereotypes that lead to misunderstandings. In this regard, Nazarbayev noted that Kazakhstan is ready to share its experience in preserving inter-ethnic and inter-confessional peace.

The summit will determine priorities, goals, and objectives in the field of science, technology and innovation development among the OIC member states. The idea of convening the summit was proposed by Nazarbayev during the OIC Summit in Istanbul in 2016. The summit's theme is "Science, Technology, Innovation and Modernisation in the Islamic World."