ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday announced the appointment of its first permanent representative to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation "to further deepen cooperation" with the member countries.
The Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) said the newly-appointed Permanent Representative to the OIC Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, presented his credentials to OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen at the organisation's headquarters in Jeddah.
"The presentation of credentials by the permanent representative marks the establishment of Pakistan's dedicated permanent mission to the OIC," said the FO.
The establishment of the new mission, coinciding with the OIC Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2019, is based on Pakistan's desire to further deepen and strengthen its engagement with the OIC and its specialised and subsidiary institutions that form part of the broader OIC system.
Pakistan's decision to establish its Permanent Mission to the OIC comes in pursuance of the organisation's various resolutions and pronouncements, which encouraged the member states to set up their permanent missions in Jeddah to handle their dealings with the OIC more efficiently.
The FO said as a founding member Pakistan attaches great importance to the OIC.
With 57 members, the OIC is the world's second-largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations.