AMMAN – Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) said it is ready to provide training and knowledge-enhancement courses for the Palestinian people in cooperation with the Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC), while urging Islamic countries to commit to purchasing Palestinian products.

ICCIMA President Samad Hassanzadeh, speaking at a gathering of leaders of Islamic countries’ chambers of commerce in Amman, said Islamic nations bear a major responsibility toward the “oppressed and Islamic country of Palestine.”

Decades of political conflict, war and displacement of Palestinians were described by Hassanzadeh as a bitter experience for humanity. He stressed that to end “genocidal trends,” stronger measures are needed.

He highlighted the role of Islamic councils in supporting economic structures, building scientific and social institutions, expanding small industries, promoting agricultural and food production, and developing regional businesses and modern technologies to improve living conditions in Palestine.

Hassanzadeh proposed initiatives including commitments by Islamic states to use and buy Palestinian goods, organizing conferences and trade fairs to showcase Palestinian capacities, inviting Palestinian entrepreneurs to events in Islamic countries, dispatching delegations to develop international economic programs, designating a “Day of Economic Cooperation of the Islamic World with a focus on Palestine,” allocating scholarships for Palestinian students in Islamic countries, and establishing scientific and cultural centers for youth training with global educational standards.

He said Islamic countries’ commitment to Palestine is a “divine duty” and a step to prove international solidarity and compassion for a “suppressed nation.” Hassanzadeh reiterated ICCIMA’s readiness to launch training programs with ICRIC, and called for forming a council to strengthen Palestinian foundations, saying support should not remain limited to slogans and statements.

The 39th board meeting of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development and the 70th session of its finance committee opened on Sunday in Amman with representatives from 18 countries, including Azerbaijan, Chad, Djibouti, Guinea, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Turkey, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as an observer.

The board discussed issues such as the election of the chamber’s new leadership for the next four years, a Qatari proposal on future strategic directions modeled after the European Chamber system, broader cooperation with Palestine’s economy, and plans for the 50th anniversary of the Islamic Chamber’s establishment.

Hassanzadeh was accompanied by Mohammadreza Karbasi, director-general of ICRIC, and Sabah Zangeneh, a board member of ICRIC and former Iranian envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

EF/MA