Baghdad – Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, met with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the new Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the sidelines of the 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.
Abdelatty congratulated the Secretary-General on assuming his duties last August, wishing him success in carrying out his responsibilities. He praised his diplomatic and international experience and expressed confidence in his ability to strengthen the organisation’s role and advance the causes and interests of its member states.
The Egyptian foreign minister reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the OIC as a key framework for joint Islamic action. He stressed Cairo’s keenness to continue supporting the organisation and its General Secretariat, while developing its working mechanisms and improving its efficiency to enhance its effectiveness in addressing the growing challenges facing Islamic countries.
Abdelatty also emphasised the importance of drawing on Egyptian human resources and expertise across the OIC’s various bodies and institutions. He noted that this would contribute to the organisation’s development and reform efforts, improve its institutional performance, and strengthen its capacity to fulfil its responsibilities and achieve its objectives.
He further highlighted the OIC’s position as the world’s second-largest international organisation in terms of membership, after the United Nations, and its pivotal role in promoting solidarity and coordination among Islamic countries and addressing shared challenges.
The meeting also addressed key regional developments, particularly the Palestinian issue, as well as efforts to promote security, stability and development across Islamic countries in line with the aspirations of their peoples.
In this context, Abdelatty underscored the importance of the OIC fulfilling its role in protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and preserving the city’s religious and historical identity and status. He reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of any measures aimed at changing the existing historical and legal status quo in the city and its holy sites.
The Egyptian minister also stressed the need to confront ongoing Israeli violations, including settlement expansion, annexation and settler violence. He concluded by emphasising the importance of intensifying joint efforts to support the Palestinian cause and strengthening coordination among OIC member states on issues and challenges facing the Islamic world.
Source: Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs