Islamic Organisation head begins Caribbean tour in Guyana

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General, Iyad Madani on Monday commenced his first tour of the two OIC member states in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Guyana and Suriname.
Accompanying the OIC Chief is Agshin Mehdiyev, an Azerbaijan diplomat who is the OIC ambassador to the United Nations; the two will arrive in Paramaribo, Suriname on Wednesday.

Madani, in an invited comment, said that his visit to Guyana and Suriname was part of his routine tour of OIC member states. One of the goals of his visit is to assess Guyana’s and Suriname’s expectations of the OIC. Madani will share with the leaders of these countries, some of the products and support that the OIC can offer them. He also wants to “engage Guyana and Suriname” in stronger OIC ties.
Madani will hold meetings with President Desi Bouterse of Suriname and President David Granger, along with Suriname’s Foreign Minister, Niermala Badrising. The OIC head will also meet with the civil society in both countries.
Badrising said that Suriname was excited to welcome the OIC head, especially at a time when ties between Suriname and the OIC have significantly expanded. During the visit, various agreements between Suriname and the OIC in the fields of education, economics and trade will be signed. Agreements to commence Islamic banking in Suriname will also be finalised.
Badrising said that the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), an organ of the OIC, is supporting the economic stabilisation and recovery policies of Suriname with a soft loan of approximately US$1.8 billion. Of this money, her Government is planning to invest US$1.278 billion in five sectors – agriculture, healthcare, finance, transportation and infrastructure, and tourism.
Last week in Paramaribo, Bouterse praised the OIC, saying that “Suriname has a golden opportunity” with the US$1.8 billion in financing that the ISDB has offered his country.
While in New York to address the 71st United Nations General Assembly on behalf of Bouterse, Badrising held bilateral meetings with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, two OIC members, in her quest to bring foreign direct investment to Suriname. She also had informal talks with Madani during an OIC reception in New York. No officials from Guyana attended the reception.
After a pledge by Granger in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met Madani earlier this year to improve its ties with the OIC, his Government failed to attend the last Heads of Government summit, which was held in Turkey earlier this year.
Guyana does not attend smaller meetings of the OIC due to the lack of funds budgeted by its Foreign Ministry, one Guyanese diplomat confirmed.
Suriname and Guyana were fortunate to have joined the OIC in the 1990s. The OIC has closed its doors to new membership for decades now. Today, many countries are knocking at the door of the OIC with the objective of exploiting the economic benefits the group offers.
The following countries are waiting to join the OIC: Brazil (since 2011), South Africa (since 2002), Sri Lanka (since 2008), the Philippines (since 2008), Serbia (Since 2008), Nepal (since 2008), Democratic Republic of Congo (since 2008), Republic of Central Africa (since 2002), Mauritius (since 2002) and Kenya (since 2011).
Like Guyana and Suriname, Muslim minority states Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Togo, Ivory Coast, Mozambique and Uganda, are members of the OIC. (Caribbean News Now)