Nouakchott, March 16, 2023, SPA — Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the 49th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was held in Nouakchott under the theme “Moderation: Key to Security and Stability.”
During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a speech thanking the government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for hosting and organizing the current edition and praised the efforts made by the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan during its presidency of the last edition.
“This meeting follows the International Day to Combat (Islamophobia), which promotes awareness of the peril of intolerance toward Islam,” Prince Faisal said, adding that “we must emphasize the need of upholding the ideals of moderation, respect for others, and coexistence in light of recent attempts to attack religious sites, burn the Holy Qur’an, and incite animosity towards Muslim minorities.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs announced the Kingdom’s intention to organize a worldwide conference on the rights granted to women in Islam by Sharia (Islamic Law) to illustrate their active involvement in society.
Prince Faisal expressed the Kingdom’s solidarity and sincere condolences to Syria and Turkiye following the human and material losses caused by the earthquake disaster, pointing out that the Kingdom had sent urgent aid and coordinated a campaign to benefit those affected.
The Foreign Minister urged the international community to take action to stop Israeli occupation forces’ violations of the Palestinian people and to undermine the likelihood of the peace process resuming.
“The Kingdom continues to promote the humanitarian and developmental issues of the Islamic world. It helped the Special Envoy of the OIC Secretary General to Afghanistan carry out his duties by giving a grant of USD 30 million to the Humanitarian Trust Fund for Afghanistan,” the Foreign Minister said, affirming that the OIC Special Envoy’s endeavors heavily rely on the support of the OIC Member States, other states, and international organizations to succeed.
“The Kingdom consistently extends its hands to dialogue and peacefully settling disputes because it values the bonds of religion and neighborhood that bind us together. From this standpoint, it had numerous rounds of talks with the Iranian brothers in Baghdad, Muscat, and most recently Beijing for more than two years. Following these discussions, an agreement was reached to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries under the guiding principles and objectives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations Charter, foremost among them the respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, good neighborliness, and the resolution of disputes through dialogue,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs asserted, looking forward that this agreement will enhance the security and stability of the Arab Gulf region, and support the path of joint Islamic action.
–SPA
20:09 LOCAL TIME 17:09 GMT
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