Gabon’s President receives ICESCO Director-General in Libreville

Gabon's President receives ICESCO Director-General in Libreville

Libreville (UNA-OIC) – Gabonese President Ali Bongo received here on Wednesday Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, in the presence of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education, the Chief of Cabinet, and several advisors in the Presidential Cabinet.

At the outset of the meeting at the Presidential Palace in the capital Libreville, the Gabonese President welcomed ICESCO Director-General, commending the Organization’s keenness to build fruitful cooperation with Gabon in its fields of competence as part of the ICESCO’s development and modernization.

AlMalik highlighted the main programs and activities of the Organization, in light of its new vision and strategy underpinned by greater communication with the Member States to identify their priorities and needs and devise programs and implementation plans accordingly.

He noted that ICESCO has launched and implemented various initiatives and programs to support its Member States in facing the negative reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the African countries, which receive special priority.

The Director-General then briefed the Gabonese President on the areas of cooperation between ICESCO and Gabon, which were explored during his meetings with the Prime Minister and other Gabonese ministers, as well as the programs aimed at young people, girls, and vulnerable groups.

The meeting also touched on multiple cooperation proposals, such as the organization of Member States’ First Ladies Conference on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, jointly between ICESCO, the Gabonese Ministry of Social Affairs, and Silvia Bongo Foundation, which is chaired by the First Lady of Gabon.

The meeting further reviewed multiple initiatives, including the establishment of an Arabic language teaching center in Gabon, and the implementation of a training program for Gabonese imams, in cooperation with the Gabonese Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and ICESCO’s partners, most notably the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) and the Rabat-based Mohammadia League of Scholars.

The meeting was the culmination of the ICESCO Director-General’s official visit to Gabon, during which he met with senior officials and agreed upon developing cooperation ties between the Organization and the West African nation in different fields through the joint implementation of practical programs and activities with the Gabonese competent parties.

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