Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohamed Asim said that there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. The Minister made the statement during the special session presenting the Maldives Statement at the 44th Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. This year's theme of the OIC CFM is “Youth, Peace and Development in a World of Solidarity.”
Speaking on the theme of the Meeting, the Foreign Minister informed the delegates from OIC member states of the Maldivian Government Manifesto and plans, on engaging youth in productive work, facilitating higher education opportunities, increasing youth leadership, and involvement in decision making. The Minister noted that the Government is pursuing plans that enable and empower youth, for young people are the hope and future of a nation.
Expressing concerns on the escalating conflicts and inability of the world to alleviate the concerns of Muslims around the world, the Minister noted that it is natural to have differences, however, conflict resolution approaches should always be to promote dialogue and peace, and to cultivate a culture of respect, of meaningful solutions for a shared prosperity. Along these lines, the Minister commended OIC for its efforts to change the image of Islam, and the spread of terrorist ideologies. Further, he also noted that the Maldives will stand by efforts to combat terrorism, violent extremism and support efforts targeted at Muslims, particularly the youth.