Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 01/12/2012
The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu left Vienna on 29 November 2012 upon the completion of his four days visit where he addressed the Symposium on Tolerance co-organized by the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the European Parliament under the Parliamentary Exchange and Dialogue Program, attended the inauguration ceremony of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) which is preceded by a bilateral meeting with Dr. Michael Spindelegger, Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Austria on 26 November 2012. During the meeting with the Austrian Vice Chancellor, the Secretary General called for fostering dialogue with Austria based on mutual interest and respect. He also referred to the century old deep rooted status of Islam in Austria as one of the officially recognized religions in the country since 1912 and praised the Austrian Government its endeavor towards the revision of the Law on Islam in coordination and accordance with the needs and requirements of the Muslim community of Austria. Secretary General also referred to Palestine’s aspiration to acquire non-member observer status within the United Nations system and urged the Austrian Government to further support Palestine in this endeavor, as it was the case in Palestine’s UNESCO membership. On his part, the Austrian Vice Chancellor praised the Secretary General for his commitment and efforts to reform the OIC and expressed their readiness to expand dialogue with the OIC. He pledged to support the Palestinian cause as a result of the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. He invited the OIC Secretary General to the Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) Annual Conference to be held in Vienna in February 2013, while the Secretary General invited the Austrian Vice Chancellor to visit the OIC Headquarters at an appropriate time which he accepted. They also exchanged views on the developments in the Balkans as well as on the ways and means to combat intolerance based on the implementation of the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18. The Secretary General also met the OIC Ambassadors in Vienna on 27 November and shared his views on the agenda of the OIC. He called upon the OIC Ambassadors to have regular consultations among themselves in accordance with the mandate provided by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers with a view to have coordinated approach about the issues on the agenda of the OIC. On 29 November 2012, the Secretary General addressed the OSCE Permanent Council upon the invitation of the Irish Chairperson in Office where he reiterated the willingness of the OIC to further enhance political dialogue and practical cooperation with the OSCE and ODIHR including in the fields of conflict prevention and resolution, combating intolerance and election observation and expressed the OIC’s readiness to cooperate with Ukraine as the next Chairperson in Office in 2013. Permanent Representatives who took the floor after the Secretary General’s intervention, spoke favorably about OIC-OSCE relations and interactions, expressed determination to further these relations and praised the efforts of the Secretary General in reforming and strengthening the OIC. The Secretary General also had a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian Permanent Representative who will be presiding the OSCE Permanent Council in 2013.
