Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz patronized here Monday the opening ceremony of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Council of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank Group. Finance Ministers from the 56 member states are attending the two-day meeting. A new logo of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) was unveiled at the meeting. “The core of the ITFC's mission is to achieve IDB objectives of advancing trade and improving lives, ITFC CEO Dr. Waleed Al-Wohaib said. “We have a clear vision, which is to share and apply our trade skills, link people together, to make strong partnerships that empower and enrich economies,” Dr. Waleed said. The Chairman of the Governors Board of the IDB Group and the Finance Minister of Bahrain, Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Al-Khlifah in his address expressed concern over the global food crisis. “Our corporation has taken certain measures by launching an emergency aid program to help the affected member states. We hope this will help those countries increase agriculture production and solve their problem." He highlighted the King's efforts to unite and develop the Ummah (Islamic nation). OIC Secretary General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu lauded the King's generous gesture of supporting OIC's Alliance for Caring for the child victims of the Tsunami disaster in Indonesia. President of the Islamic Development Bank Group Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Ali highlighted the King's support for IDB's poverty fund and Alquds and Alaqsa funds. Dr. Ibrahim Al–Assaf, Saudi Minister of Finance and Saudi Arabia's Governor at Islamic Development Bank Group underlined the Kingdom's efforts to support the bank, and the anti-poverty fund such as donation of one billion US dollars to Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development. – With inputs from SPA __
