TEHRAN (CHN) – Presenting three proposals on tourism in the Islamic countries, Iran attended the 5th conference of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) tourism ministers for tourism development of Islamic countries which was held in Baku, capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan from 11-12 September 2006 with the attendance of 38 Islamic countries.

According to Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, deputy director of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), all 3 proposals put forward by Iran gained unanimous acceptance and were given high priority by the representatives of OIC member states and were placed in the final resolution of the Conference.

Holding a conference on the need for the investment of Islamic countries in the tourism industry, the festival of cuisines from Islamic countries, and launching the tourism national committee for the youth in the OIC member states were Iran’s three proposals in this conference.

“Based on the negotiations, all the Islamic countries will participate in the project for establishing the youth tourism national committee. Nearly in all Iranian ministries and governmental organizations, a section has been incorporated which is involved with the youth affairs which is indicative of the special attention the Iranian government gives to its young generation. This is why Iran proposed the launching of a tourism national committee for the youth at the Baku conference,” said Malekzadeh.

In this conference, Iran was also selected to host the first festival of foods from the Islamic countries which will be held during November/December 2006 in Kish Island.

The ministers of Islamic countries also decided to hold the first conference on the need for investment by the Islamic countries in their tourism industry in Pakistan in 2007. The same conference was agreed to be held in Iran in 2008.

“We had a joint meeting with Pakistan’s Minister of Tourism, Ms. Niloufar Bakhtiar, during which she promised to prepare the preliminary plan for holding this conference and submit it to Iran within two weeks. In this meeting, we also reached to an agreement with Pakistan’s Minister of Tourism to cooperate with this country to hold the first conference in 2007. Likewise, Pakistan will assist Iran for holding the same conference in 2008.