H.E. Prof Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC) visited IRCICA

IRCICA Director General Dr. Eren received H.E. Prof Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Secretary General of the Tahran-based Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), on 5 January 2012. This was the second visit of Prof. Kılıç to IRCICA, his first visit on 11 May 2010 having resulted in the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between PUIC and IRCICA. The two organizations have subjects of common interest and converging objectives. IRCICA is a research institution that conducts activities of publishing and documentation, aims to promote cultural cooperation between the Member States and with other countries and coordinates international projects highlighting the role and share of Islamic civilization and Muslim cultures in universal civilization in historical and present perspectives; as to the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, it aims, among others, at introducing and disseminating the noble principles of Islam, with emphasis on the different aspects of its civilization; providing a framework for comprehensive and fruitful cooperation and coordination among parliaments of OIC members in international fora and organisations; promoting meeting and dialogue among parliaments of OIC members and their deputies, exchanging parliamentary experience, discussing economic, cultural, social and political issues of interest to the OIC members, strengthening contacts, cooperation and coordination with other parliamentary, governmental and non governmental organizations, with the aim of advancing common objectives; fostering coordination among peoples of the world in order to respect and defend human rights and humanitarian principles and establishment of peace. According to the cooperation agreement, “IRCICA and PUIC shall regularly cooperate with each other in all areas where their objectives and mandates are common and/or complementary, in particular, to undertake activities aimed at highlighting the Islamic civilisation under all its aspects – the history of its development and expansion; its present heritage, threats facing this heritage, and means of preservation; promoting international cooperation, coordination and dialogue by means of cultural events and activities; presenting, and promoting the understanding of the products of Islamic civilisation that are reflected in the cultural life and living heritage of peoples around the world as evidences of the shared aspects of all civilisations; and, channelling the products of these activities towards contributing to the Islamic causes of the OIC Member States.” This second visit was an occasion whereby Prof. Kılıç and Dr. Eren exchanged information on their organisations’ activities and recent developments in this regard.