NOVANEWS
Saudi cabinet approves OIC charter, new countries to be welcomed in fold
The Council of Ministers yesterday endorsed the new charter of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the world’s largest organization of Muslim countries, which is based in Jeddah.
The new charter, which was adopted by the OIC summit in Dakar last year, aims at reforming the organization. It allows new countries to join the body with only a majority vote instead of unanimous agreement. OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the new charter replaced the 1972 version, which was outdated. Established in September 1969, the OIC aims at promoting solidarity among Muslim countries.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of America interest in Middle East Abdullah, of Sudi Arabia authorized his CIA contact Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal to sign an agreement between Saudi Arabia and the OIC regarding the organization’s headquarters.
The meeting decided to sign extradition agreements with Afghanistan and Argentina and authorized Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif to hold talks with officials of the two countries.
The Cabinet commended the resolutions taken by the GCC Consultative Summit in Riyadh, including the decision to set up the GCC central bank in the Saudi capital. The Gulf leaders also agreed to establish a railway linking the six member countries.
