Cairo - Akram Ali
Egypt's Mohammed Morsi seeks global cooperation to resolve Syrian conflict
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has confirmed that members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stressed the need to intensify efforts in resolving the Syrian crisis and ending the bloodshed
.
The two-day Islamic summit approved Morsi's call for urgent dialogue between Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia about the Syrian crisis. Morsi’s initiative aims to ensure the unity of the Syrian territories through holding an inclusive dialogue between the various Syrian parties.
Speaking to representatives from 27 member states in the final session of the conference, the Egyptian leader said that Islam calls for achieving justice, adding that Egypt wants an "active partnership" with countries around the world "on the basis of equality."
The member states of the OIC condemned the violence against civilians of Mali, while President Morsi called for an end to war and stressed the need to bridge the gap of difference between the people.
Morsi said that the Palestinian issue is one of the main challenges that facing the organisation, stressing that the Islamic states intend to confront the attempts aimed at "Judaising” Jerusalem.
Outgoing Secretary-General of the OIC, Ekmeleddin ?hsano?lu thanked several member states for supporting him over the last eight years, and described Egypt and Turkey as "special friends" of the organisation. He also congratulated his newly-appointed successor Iyad Madani and wished him the very best.
The OIC's final statement also expressed support for UN envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, expressing anxiety over the failure of the UN Security Council to achieve notable progress in Syria.
The conference approved plans to hold a donors event in Jerusalem to finance and develop vital sectors in the city, within the framework outlined a few years ago. The statement called on countries to challenge Israeli settlement plans "politically and legally," describing the expansion as a "blow" after the UN gave Palestine observer member status.