By NNN-KUNA,
Kuwait : Jordan’s King Abdullah II has said that the Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) was one that would discuss important issues that affected the Muslim world.
Speaking at the inauguration of the forum Tuesday, he said that this was not an ordinary international meeting, and that the efforts that were exerted were aimed at achieving economic goals, including development, growth, and creating opportunities for the youth.
He said that in order to create economic opportunities, sustainable development had to be achieved in order to face financial and oil shocks, among others.
The King said that this gathering acknowledged the important role of economic alliances in the region, lauding efforts of the Organisation of the Islamic Country (OIC) in launching economic and developmental cooperation among its member states.
He said that a large percentage of the population in Muslim countries were youth, which was resource that needed to be utilised and invested in, adding that it was unfortunate that 70,000 Arab university graduates were leaving their countries every year.
He also stressed the need for forging alliances among Muslim countries so that they may face the challenges that they encountered.
His Majesty thanked Kuwait and its leadership for hosting this important forum.
On his part, President of the Senegal Abdoulaye Wade said the high-level representation at the forum reflected the importance of the topics that would be discussed.
He said African countries suffered from the hike in oil prices and basic products, adding that despite lack of sufficient resources, Senegal succeeded in raising the rate of its economic growth and subsidized foodstuff to alleviate the suffering of its people.
Wade noted the establishment of the Poverty Fund, saying that despite the USD 15 billion he had called for, only USD 2.6 billion had so far been pledged.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said this forum was an opportunity to exchange views over means to encourage trade and investment among Muslim countries.
He noted the power of youth, but said that the greatest problem at present was the education of women, unemployment, shortage in food resources and internal conflicts, as well as the negative image with which the rest of the world looked at Muslim states.
He called for focusing on education and training, as well as countering extremism, which he said was preventing the advancement of the Muslim world.
As for President of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr Haris Silajdzic, he said that the world of globalisation required tolerance and mutual respect, adding that what was needed was co-existence and peace.
He said his country was an example of multi-culturalism, recalling that during the war, the civil image of Islam was displayed because the Bosnian people were killed and an attempt was made to distort their identity, but they did not retaliate and maintained a positive example of tolerance.
On economy, he said his country’s economy was growing and that it had the water and energy resources that it hoped to exploit in the future, welcoming friends and brothers to invest in his country.
He noted that Bosnia would soon be signing an important agreement with the European Union.
The president said Kuwait was a country worthy of hosting such an important event, lauding the political wisdom and diplomacy of the Emir, thanking the country for its support for his country during times of hardship.
Chairman of the WIEF Musa Hitam, of Malaysia, thanked all of those who contributed to the success of this forum which encouraged commercial relations among Muslim states.
He said that the excellent organisation of this forum by Kuwait would present a challenge for the next host country.
The WIEF chairman said that in the past four rounds, the WIEF had never failed to attract participants from the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds.
He called for women empowerment, encouraging the youth to pursue businesses and contributing to development, as well as assisting countries that had low growth rates.