Islamic countries urged to strengthen solidarity

In a speech he made before the Fourth Islamic Conference of Information Ministers held in Dakar, Senegal, Syrian Information Minister Mohammad Salman affirmed the necessity of guiding the Islamic states' information in defense of cultural, economic and political issues.

He noted the importance of realizing a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East that guarantees an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese lands.

He noted the good cooperation by members of the committee, the organisation's General Secretariat and its executive body in following up implementation of the conference's resolutions.

He went on, "Our OIC was born following the burning of the Holy Aqsa Mosque which is still under Israeli occupation together with the occupied Arab territories," adding "This would urge us all to be committed to the Islamabad summit's resolutions and to work collectively against any Israeli attempt to infiltrate into the Islamic countries solidarity through the establishment of military pacts or through cooperation projects with any member state in the OIC because these alliances and projects threaten our national and pan Arab security and contradict the basic charter of our organization and resolutions of its summit."