Kazakh President Calls for Formation of Islamic G20

“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,” Nazarbayev said at the first OIC Summit on Science and Technology in Astana.

“From the advanced 15 states of the Organization 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 cooperation with Western countries,” he added, as reported by Kazinform.

“This will facilitate the development of the entire Islamic world. We must develop relations between the Islamic religion and 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 added.

Nazarbayev also urged the participants to abandon stereotypes that lead to misunderstanding.

Astana is hosting the first OIC Summit on Science and Technology with the participation of the heads of several states. The Summit determines priorities, goals, and objectives in the field of science, technology and innovation development in the OIC member states.

The Summit’s theme is “Science, Technology, Innovation and Modernization in the Islamic World”.