Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 17/11/2012
The Secretary general of the organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu held several high-level bilateral meetings during his participation in the 39th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Djibouti on November 15-17, 2012 mobilizing a unified stand on the escalation of Israeli aggression against Gaza, the continued violence in Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims and in Syria. The Secretary General discussed the security and humanitarian developments in Mali and Sahel with the Foreign Minister of Mali and other African countries. He talked with the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan on its successful chairmanship of the 38th CFM and the establishment of the OIC food security body in Kazakhstan. In his meeting with the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines he reviewed the progress of the peace process in southern Philippines with the Muslim community. He held separate meetings with the Chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He then held a meeting that included the Foreign Minister of Djibouti and the Chairmen of MNLF and MILF that resulted in an agreement to activate the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum and a request for the OIC to formulate the guidelines for this forum. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of Central Africa met with the OIC Secretary General where he raised the issue of their aspiration to become full members in the OIC. As for the Foreign Minister of Kosovo, he discussed support for Kosovo’s recognition as a state. Ihsanoglu also met with US President’s Special Envoy to the OIC, Rashad Hussein, to whom he again conveyed his congratulations to President Obama on his reelection and discussed the letter he sent to President Obama regarding developments in Myanmar in light of the President’s upcoming visit to the country. Ihsanoglu also discussed promoting and implementing UN Resolution 16/18 on combating religious intolerance and incitement to hatred based on religion or belief. Other bilateral meetings of the Secretary General were with the Foreign Ministers of Guinea, Somalia, Suriname, Pakistan, Gambia, Uganda, Chad, Cameroon, Turkey and Iraq.
