TASHKENT, Uzbekistan –

From 18 to 19 October, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) Petko Draganov visited Tashkent (Uzbekistan) to attend the 43rd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The Session marked the official transfer of the CFM Chairmanship from the State of Kuwait to the Republic of Uzbekistan, and was held under the Uzbek Chairmanship’s motto, “Education and Enlightenment – Path to Peace and Creativity”. The deliberations entailed the adoption of the Tashkent Declaration, reaffirming the OIC Member States commitment to join the efforts to strengthen the cooperation in political, socio-economic and other vital areas as well as in addressing the threats of terrorism, all forms illegal trafficking, spread of extremist ideology, especially among the youth. They placed an emphasis on the need to resolve ongoing and emerging problems and conflicts through peaceful negotiations, with the use of political, diplomatic and international legal mechanisms based on the universally recognized principles and norms of international law to ensure durable peace, security and stability.   

On the margins of the Session, the SRSG conducted bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to OIC. During the meetings, an exchange of views took place on current political developments and security trends in Central Asia and neighboring regions, as well as on topical issues of interaction along the UNRCCA’s mandate.