Members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will meet in Mecca today. A meeting has already been held in Jidda, attended by foreign ministers. They decided to freeze Syria’s membership in the OIC. The recommendation needs the approval of OIC leaders. Algeria and Iran oppose the idea. Azerbaijan approved it.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that it would not help resolve the conflict.
Surya LN reported on Sunday that Saudi Arabia recommended Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign and hand over to a transitional government. According to the Mecca Declaration, foreign forces would then end violence in the country and stabilize it until elections.
Syrian membership in the Arab League was frozen in November.
Foreign Minister of Oman Yusuf bin Alavi said that all states have common grounds on Syria.
Besides Syria, OIC states will discuss Myanmar and Palestine, RIA Novosti reports.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov visited Saudi Arabia for the summit, initiated by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Istanbul on Saturday that Arab ministers may approve no-fly zones in Syria, ITAR-TASS reports.
The OIC was founded in Rabat on September 25, 1969, for solidarity of social, economic and political spheres of cooperation, to combat colonialism and racism and to support Palestine. The organization has 57 members. Russia is an observer. The OIC is headquartered in Jidda (Saudi Arabia).
