FM not going to Pakistan; FS to represent Bangladesh in OIC CFM

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will not be joining the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to be held on 22-23 March in Islamabad.

Instead, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen will lead the Bangladesh delegation, said an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday (20 March).

The OIC said the CFM represents the second most prominent OIC activity following the extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers held last December on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Earlier on Saturday, FM Momen indicated his non-participation at the OIC meeting. "We always attend OIC meetings. I said before I'll go. But recently I got a little sick and the doctor suggested that I take some rest."

On several occasions, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha expressed solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.

He reiterated the commitment of OIC member states to help bring peace, security, stability, and development to this country.

Furthermore, he called on members, Islamic financial institutions and partners to expedite humanitarian assistance for the needy.

Since August 2021, Afghanistan has continued to witness a difficult humanitarian situation with uncertainty about its future.

This prompted the OIC to take several steps towards containing the situation and playing its role in mobilising support from the international community to the Afghan people, given the specificity of the organisation, which highlights its responsibility in addressing the issues of the Islamic world, according to a message from the OIC.