Summit's deliberations concluded
Regional, Politics, 12/11/1997

Participants in the 8th Organization of the Islamic Conference summit have approved unanimously all 142 items scheduled in the agenda of their meeting during today's morning session which was concluded at 3 p.m. (Tehran local time).

A well-informed source at the summit said the participating states discussed volume of aid to be offered to the OIC, adding Iran is to give a donation of US $1 billion, whereas Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt decided to furnish needed sums to enable the organization to carry out assigned tasks.

Cooperation between Muslim countries, participation in international arenas, and achieving sustainable development are among the goals agreed upon by OIC leaders, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

The summit's final statement, issued with attention to the summit's motto, "Dignity, Dialog and Participation," emphasizes solidarity and security -- including harsh criticism for Israeli policy -- and condemns terrorism. Terrorist acts are "distant from the Islamic sharia," Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said.

The statement condemned "unilateralism and extraterritorial applications of domestic law," with emphasis placed on economic practices. The leaders urged "all states to consider the so-called D'Amato Law as null and void." The US law seeks to impose penalties on any firms, whether US or otherwise, who do business with Iran or Libya and was at the center of a recent dispute between the US and France after a French company signed an Iranian deal.

The statement also reaffirmed the call for a stronger OIC role in the UN to "ensure maximum democratization of the decision-making within the UN system, and further emphasize the need for a more effective and equitable role of the OIC membership in the Security Council."

Sudan's President Omar Bashir praised the conference stating, "The resolutions and recommendations of the 8th summit of the the Organization of the Islamic Conference can effectively address the problems facing the Muslim world and help expand cooperation amongst Islamic states."

Libyan Foreign Minister Omar al-Muntasser evaluated the summit as important, IRNA reported.

INRA reported that Qatar was chosen as the venue for the next summit in 2000.

Previous Stories:
  President Assad at Islamic Summit: Resistance is legal right, legitimate duty   (12/11/1997)
  Turkey's Demirel makes early exit from Islamic Summit   (12/10/1997)
  Excerpts from 8th Islamic summit's opening session   (12/10/1997)

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