His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), received His Excellency Mr. Pof Yusuf Arifin, Head of the Political Affairs Department of the Indonesian Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and his accompanying delegation, on Wednesday 25 Dhu al-Hijjah 1442 corresponding to 04 August 2021 at the headquarters of the Academy in Jeddah.

During the meeting, His Excellency the Secretary General of the Academy expressed his happiness with this honorable visit and thanked the State of Indonesia for strengthening cooperation, communication, and partnership with the Academy. His Excellency mentioned that he had noticed this during his recent visit to Indonesia, where he met with the Minister of Religious Affairs and a number of eminent religious and scientific figures. His Excellency also took advantage of the occasion by giving his guests an overview of the Academy’s activities and programs and its recently developed strategic plan to enable all member states to benefit from the Academy’s services and programs. In this context, His Excellency called for working together to activate Indonesia’s role within the Academy and to benefit from the expertise of its great scholars and thinkers. His Excellency also expressed his hope that Indonesia would soon become an international center for Islamic social finance.

For his part, the Head of the Political Affairs Department expressed his pleasure and honor to visit the Academy, and his thanks and gratitude to His Excellency the Secretary General for the warm welcome. He also assured His Excellency of his keenness, since assuming his duties at the embassy at the beginning of this year, to consolidate the bonds of cooperation, communication, and partnership with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its subsidiary organs, especially the International Islamic Fiqh Academy. The beginning of this cooperation was the coordination and organization of the Secretary General’s visit to Indonesia and the good impact this visit had on Indonesian officials, especially His Excellency the Minister of Religious Affairs, in addition to senior religious and scientific figures and prestigious Islamic societies. His Excellency added that his country is striving to activate its full role within the Academy’s Council and to make full use of the Academy’s scientific capabilities and academic expertise. He also expressed his country’s endeavor to participate in all the scientific activities of the Academy and its aspiration to contribute with researchers and employees representing it within the General Secretariat of the Academy.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Akhmed Baihaqie, First Secretary for OIC Section, and Mr. A.M. Sidki, Second Secretary at the Embassy, ​​Ms. Anita Darulkutni, Assistant at the Political Section of the embassy, ​​Ms. Sarah Amjad Hussein, Director of the Family Affairs Department at the Academy, and Mr. Mourad TLiLi, Adviser to the Secretary General for Media and Public Relations at the Academy.