OIC Secretary General making two-day visit to Tatarstan.

KAZAN, March 24 (Itar-Tass) - Expansion of cooperation with Russia is
the central issue of a two-day visit that the Secretary General of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference /OIC/, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, is to
make to Russia's constituent region of Tatarstan, where a considerable
part of the population espouses Islam.
Rezida Makuyeva, the chief of the Tatarstani legislature's press
service, said Ihsanoglu plans addressing a news conference right upon
arrival at Kazan airport where he will tell reporters about the relations
existing between the OIC and Russia that received an observer status in
the organization in 2005.
Also, Ihsanoglu will speak about the prospects for future cooperation.
"March 25, Dr. Ihsanoglu is expected to take part in the gala
ceremonies dedicated to the inauguration of Tatarstan's new President,
Rustam Minnikhanov," Makuyeva said.
On the same day, the high guest will meet with professors and students
of the Volga Area Federal University, commonly known as Kazan University.
The OIC is the largest and most authoritative international Moslem
organization uniting about 20% of the Earth's population.
A total of 57 countries have the OIC membership. The figure includes a
number of former Soviet republics - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
OIC member-nations control more than 70% of all the global energy
resource deposits and 40% other mineral resources.
Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, a national of Turkey, is a widely acclaimed
leader of the global Islamic community. He is the author of the phrase
'Religions and cultures are eternal'.
He was elected the OIC's Secretary General in 2005 and has visited
Tatarstan on a number of occasions.
-0-kle