The Consul General of Japan in Jeddah, H.E. Mr. Shimmura Izuru, visited the headquarters of the Secretariat General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, on Tuesday 25 Safar 1445, corresponding to September 12, 2023. His Excellency was received by the Secretary General of the Academy, H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano.

H.E. Mr. Shimmura Izuru expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to the Secretary General of the Academy for his warm welcome, underlining his great interest and readiness to make this visit to the Academy as part of his country’s unceasing efforts to strengthen relations of cooperation and coordination with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its affiliated organs, in particular the International Islamic Fiqh Academy. His Excellency congratulated the Secretary General on the success of the latest visit to Afghanistan by scholars of the Muslim Ummah led by the Academy.

For his part, H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano welcomed and thanked the Consul General of Japan for his visit, which demonstrates the excellent relations between the Academy and Japan as well as with the other permanent missions of the OIC. His Excellency then reviewed his guest from the visit to Afghanistan and indicated that the delegation was made up of some thirty eminent scholars from different countries of the Muslim world. His Excellency added: “We had good discussions with the Afghan government and met with more than ten ministers and other senior officials of the Afghan emirate, including the ministers of education, foreign affairs, interior, minerals, the deputy prime minister and the president of the Afghan Academy of Sciences. We have seen remarkable progress and a positive attitude towards the reopening of schools and universities for girls as soon as certain logistical problems have been resolved”. His Excellency also assured them of the willingness of OIC member states, UN agencies and other countries to help Afghans rebuild their country after half a century of wars.

The meeting was attended by Mr Mohamed al-Fihri, Director of Financial and Administrative Affairs, Ms Sarah Amjad Badewi, Director of Family and Women, Mr Moez Al-Riahi, Director of Financing, Investment and Projects, and Dr. Alhagi Manta Drammeh, Head of International Cooperation and External Relations.