The Vice Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank, Said Abbas, and the Director of the Islamic Solidarity Fund, Gazi Bakıs, who are currently in the TRNC as part of the OIC delegation, which is headed by the OIC Deputy Secretary-General Atta Avmannan, for various contacts with Turkish Cypriot officials yesterday (22 March) met with Dervis Kemal Deniz, the Minister for Economy and Tourism.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Mehmet Basel, the Undersecretary for the Ministry for Economy and Tourism, further improving economic and commercial relations between the TRNC and the OIC countries were discussed.

Indicating that the OIC delegation had visited him to discuss economic issues, which play the biggest role in development, Minister Deniz reminded that the TRNC was now attending the OIC and the Economy Ministers' Meeting of the Islamic Countries under the status of the "Cyprus Turkish State".

Underlining that some progress had been achieved on further developing commercial relations with the OIC countries, Minister Deniz said they had reached the point of taking more concrete steps.

For his part, the OIC Deputy Secretary-General Atta Avmannan, said in their meeting on Monday 20 March they discussed political issues and especially the issue of reaching a peaceful and permanent settlement on the island and that in Tuesday's (21 March) meeting they focused on economic and trade issues.

Indicating that economy and trade was very important for Cyprus, Avmannan stressed that there was a great opportunity in North Cyprus for the OIC countries to make investments.

He said increasing tourism investment and attracting more tourists to North Cyprus were also very important issues for the OIC and that technical negotiations would be carried out on these issues.

Avmannan added that following the completion of their contacts in North Cyprus a report would be prepared on the contributions the OIC member countries could make to North Cyprus's economy and tourism sectors.

The UK based human rights "Embargoed" group on 26 April 2006 will demonstrate in Brussels against the EU for not keeping its promise made to lift the isolations imposed upon the Turkish Cypriots.

The demonstration called "Gagged" coincides with the second anniversary of the promises made but not kept by the European Council to lift the TRNC's isolation.

In a written statement issued by "Embargoed" it was stated that the demonstration in Brussels was aimed at stressing the failure of the EU to keep its promises and to take the issue to the heart of the EU.

The Campaign and Communication Officer for "Embargoed" Ipek Ozerim said Turkish Cypriots were angry with the EU for not taking any steps towards lifting any of the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriots during the last two years. She said: "What's even worse is that the EU's biased and imbalanced approach, which treats the Greek Cypriot side as the sole authority on the island, sabotages the UN efforts to reach a settlement based on the two side's equality".

"Embargoed!" is independent human rights group that is campaigning for the immediate and unconditional lifting of all the embargoes imposed on North Cyprus.