OIC secretary general announces a new OIC initiative to reactivate the Makkah declaration signed between the religious leaders of the Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites

Date: 04/11/2007

The OIC Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu attended the Expanded Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Neighbouring Countries of Iraq, which took place in Istanbul on 2-3 November 2007. In his speech at the Conference, the Secretary General informed the participating Ministers and Secretaries General of the international organizations that while some positive developments inspire hope, the situation in Iraq continues to be a major concern for the OIC. He reported that the recently established OIC Ministerial Contact Group on Iraq held its first meeting in New York during the UN General Assembly and that the OIC intends to utilize this Ministerial level organ to visibly increase its contribution to the peace and stability efforts in Iraq. He further informed the participants that the OIC will soon announce a new initiative to reactivate the Makkah Declaration process to stop the sectarian violence with a view to promoting national reconciliation and that the OIC office in Baghdad will very soon be opened to forge direct contacts and follow up its initiatives. The Secretary General also announced the plans to send to Baghdad a high level delegation comprising the OIC General Secretariat, specialized and affiliated organs and the representatives of the Contact Group to be followed by his own visit. The OIC Secretary General voiced his optimism stemming from the developments that have been leading to an increased role of the UN in Iraq and pledged OIC's full cooperation with the UN Secretary General's newly appointed Special Representative for Iraq, Mr. Staffan de Mitsura. Accordingly, the Final Communiqué of the Istanbul Conference which was issued yesterday underlined the importance of the OIC and the League of Arab States in supporting the Iraq Reconciliation Process and in this context welcomed the initiative of the OIC to convene the follow up meeting of the Makkah Declaration. On the other hand, the Final Communiqué, together with UNESCO and ALECSO, called upon the two OIC institutions, IRCICA and ISESCO, to contribute to the preservation and revitalization of the historical heritage of Iraq. On the sidelines of the Istanbul Conference, Secretary General Ihsanoglu had bilateral meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Kuwait Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al Sabah, Foreign Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa and Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Ugo Intini. Ihsanoglu had also the opportunity, during the official lunch hosted by the Turkish President Abdullah Gul held at the Ciragan Palace at the conclusion of the Conference yesterday, of exchanging views with the US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice on the situation in the Middle East and OIC-US relations.

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