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OIC Underlines Priority to Fight Terrorism | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The opening of the 44th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan on Monday (SPA)


Jeddah – The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stressed the need to prioritize the issue of fighting terrorism, particularly in countries suffering from the impact of terrorist operations, noting that Saudi Arabia’s recent hosting of the Arab-Islamic-American Summit, with the broad participation of member states, “is an important step towards supporting regional and global security, peace and stability.”

In his speech at the opening of the 44th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan, OIC Secretary-General, Dr. Youssef Al-Othaimeen, noted that the establishment of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) was “the fruit of this international cooperation in the face of radical ideology leading to terrorism”.

He also praised the “important role played by all the leading centers and institutions in member-states that support the promotion of positive dialogue and tolerance, the rejection of violence and the fight against extremism.”

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara inaugurated on Monday the two-day seminar on “Youth, Peace and Development in a World of Solidarity”, which will discuss political, humanitarian, cultural, social, economic, scientific and technological issues.

In a key speech, Ouattara focused on the necessity of cooperation of the organization’s member countries on fighting terrorism, finding solutions to prevent the youths from being lured by extremists, and putting an economic, scientific and technological strategy within the organization.

Al-Othaimeen underlined that “the expansion of terrorism requires the consolidation of efforts in order to put an end to its direct and indirect causes, drain its funding sources and develop our societies to combat this phenomenon, not only on the security level, but also culturally, economically and in the media”.

He pointed out that the organization “will maintain its efforts to activate its agreements on terrorism, and establish special mechanisms to enhance cooperation in the fight against violence and extremism.”