PRESIDENT CALLS FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION AMONG MUSLIM STATES TO FACE GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Kuala Lumpur - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for enhanced cooperation among Muslim countries to face global economic challenges and to cope with various problems facing developing countries.

Speaking at the 3rd World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) at the Putra World Trade Center building in Kuala Lumpur on Monday (28/05), the Indonesian President assured Islamic countries that they were not weak.

"I think the very first step that we should take is to realize that we are not hopeless. We appear weak because we do not act in concert. We appear weak because we have been told we are weak and believed it," he said.

Also present at the forum were among others Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Assistant Secretary General for Economic Affairs Tori Limangana, and WIEF Chairman, Tun Musa Hitam.

Before around 750 participants of the forum, Yudhoyono questioned what individual nation-states must do to address the challenges of global economic imbalances, volatile financial flows, poverty, food and energy insecurity and global warming. Yudhoyono said as a collective force, Muslims around the world should be a significant part of the solution and not just a part of the problem.

He pointed out that as of 2005, the total population in Islamic countries who are members of the Islamic Development Bank was 2.2 billion or 31 percent of humankind. More importantly, Muslim countries supply 70 percent of the world's energy requirements and 40 percent of the world's raw materials exports.

"We must be proactive and know what we want. We must know what we can reasonably obtain from the rest of the world within a framework of reciprocity and sharing. We must do a better job of defining and consolidating our positions on issues and sticking to them. Above all, we must guard against being divided and conquered," Yudhoyono said.

The Indonesian leader also underscored the significance of seeking investments that would add value to commodities and spread economic benefits to a wider base in the Muslim societies.

"We must make a strong case for human resources development in our trade and investment relations with our developed partners. Every instances of economic interaction must result in the growth of knowledge, skills and positive orientation of our peoples," he said.  

Commenting on tourist sector, President Yudhoyono said Muslim countries, especially WIEF and OIC members needed to create opportunities and good cooperation networks among them.

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