Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the OIC
In 1995, Kazakhstan became a fully-fledged member of the world’s largest inter-governmental international Muslim organization, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
Over the past fifteen years, Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the OIC and its Member States has been developing in a progressive way. The membership of Kazakhstan in the OIC has helped strengthen relations with OIC Member States, it has created new opportunities for Kazakhstan to participate in the political and economic processes of the Islamic world, and it has helped to attract foreign investment to Kazakhstan.
The OIC has supported a number of Kazakh initiatives, including the convening of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The OIC has shown appreciation for Kazakhstan’s role in promoting inter-civilizational and inter-faith dialogue, and recognizes the country’s pivotal role in bridging communication between “East” and “West”. Furthermore, the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers regularly adopts resolutions that underline the importance of international involvement in solving the problems of the Aral Sea and the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site – two issues of great importance to Kazakhstan.
For Kazakhstan, cooperation with OIC financial institutions is important, particularly the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) which is one of the biggest investors in the Muslim world. The total investment portfolio of the IDB in Kazakhstan comprises around $700 million. In addition to their financial support, IDB institutions have extensively shared their knowledge on Islamic banking with Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has developed close relations with the specialized, subsidiary and affiliated institutions of the OIC. In recognition of its achievements in the fields of social and economic development, Kazakhstan was unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairman of the OIC Standing Committee on Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in October 2010. COMCEC is responsible for promoting trade and economic cooperation among the Organization’s Member States. It oversees large-scale projects designed to introduce a preferential trade system within the OIC area, to harmonize tariff policies, support industrial, financial and banking systems, as well as tourism and agriculture.
The OIC is supporting the development of a special OIC Programme for Central Asia. Through this project, the OIC will boost trade, investment and the implementation of industrial projects of mutual interest both to Central Asia and the countries of the Muslim community.
Kazakhstan closely cooperates with the OIC in the spheres of culture, education, science and technology. Working with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) enables Kazakhstan to successfully implement national projects such as the preservation and restoration of cultural property and the exchange of experience in the learning and teaching of languages, as well as the history and culture of the Islamic world. Kazakhstan is honoured that Almaty has been officially designated by IESCO as the “Capital of the Islamic culture in Asia” for 2015.
The development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the OIC over the past 15 years has been mutually beneficial. That relationship will be further enhanced during Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship of the OIC between June 2011 and June 2012.
