OIC Chief, German Foreign Minister Discuss Bilateral Ties

Riyadh, January 10, 2010, SPA -- The Secretary General of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu met in Riyadh Guido
Westerwelle, the Foreign Minister of Germany, who is currently on an official
visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.


During the meeting, the Foreign Minister expressed his interest in learning
from the OIC experience dealing with critical international issues.


He also expressed Germany’s readiness to intensify its bilateral relations
with the OIC through exchange of views and sharing ideas.


The Secretary General briefed the German Minister on the current activities of
the Organization within the framework of the OIC Ten-Year Program of Action and
the OIC Charter especially in the areas of human rights, advancement of women
and socio-economic development.


He also gave the Foreign Minister a brief account on the extent of OIC’s
relations with the non-OIC countries as well as the OIC-EU relations.


A significant portion of their discussion centered on Palestine and the Middle
East Peace Process.


The Secretary General invited the Foreign Minister to exert more efforts
through the European Union to bring the Peace Process back on track. Their
discussion also touched on other political issues notably the situation in
Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia.


The Foreign Minister invited the Secretary General to visit Germany at his
earliest convenience. On his part, the Secretary General thanked the Minister
and invited him to visit the OIC headquarters during his next visit to Saudi
Arabia. The Minister accepted the invitation. Both leaders agreed to strengthen
further the cooperation between the OIC and Germany in the days to come.

--SPA

11:00 LOCAL TIME 08:00 GMT NNNN