DUSHANBE, May 18, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Expansion of bilateral cooperation and holding of joint events were discussed here yesterday at a meeting of Mr. Sharif Said, Chairman of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) with Ms. Attiya Nawazish Ali, Assistant Secretary General of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), according to the CCI press service.

The sides also discussed the OIC Business Forum that took place in Dushanbe recently.

The ICCI assistant general secretary noted that the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) was ready to cooperate with Tajikistan’s Agroinvestbonk.  The resolution adopted at the OIC Business Forum in Dushanbe pointed to the necessity of development of small and medium-sized enterprises and private business sector in Tajikistan and IsDB will attract investors for promoting development of SMEs in Tajikistan, she noted.

Sharif Said, for his part, proposed to hold an international exhibition of member nations of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Dushanbe.

Ms. Attiya Nawazish Ali invited Sharif Said to attend a session of ICCI in Jordan and a fair in Sharjah that will bring together representatives from more than 50 OIC ember nations.

The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), with headquarters in Karachi, Pakistan, is an organization representing fifty-six Islamic member states, with the key objective of "promoting the role of the private sector in economic activities." It is a body affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).  The organization is committed to strengthening collaboration between member states in the fields of trade and commerce to encourage businesses to discuss and share new ventures. It also promotes joint projects in member countries and is working to expand intra-Islamic trade.  The Islamic Chamber sees its ultimate goal as the "gradual realization of the Islamic Economic Community.