OIC to assist UN mission on Afghanistan

Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Azeddine Laraki, expressed the OIC's willingness to assist the UN in its efforts to alleviate tension in Afghanistan, UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

At a meeting held in New York with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on the fringes of the 53rd session of the UN General Assembly, the OIC chief deplored the upsurge of violence in that Muslim country and called on warring factions to resort to dialogue for the settlement of all pending issues.

The two sides also voiced concerns over the situation in Afghanistan and in particular about reported human rights violations.