Foreign Minister attends OIC meeting

Jeddah, Jan. 21(BNA): Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa took part today at Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Ministers Council of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in regards to the attacks on the embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Tehran and its general consulate in Mashhad. The Foreign Ministers Council of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation issued a statement condemning the attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia missions in Tehran and Mashhad, which it said constitute a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, as well as international law, which protects the inviolability of diplomatic missions and imposes immunity and respect for diplomatic missions accredited to any state that is clearly binding for all. The statement affirmed that such attacks are incompatible with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Charter and the United Nations Charter, which call for strengthening confidence and encouraging friendly relations, mutual respect and cooperation between Member States, as well as peaceful settlement of disputes and maintenance of international peace and security and to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries. It condemned Iran's interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region, including the Kingdom of Bahrain, Yemen and Syria as well as its support for terrorism. The Council also expressed its rejection and condemnation of the Iranian inflammatory remarks regarding the implementation of the court rulings issued against a number of perpetrators of terrorist crimes in Saudi Arabia, considering it a blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and all international conventions that call for non-interference in the internal affairs of Member States, especially those that fall under domestic legislation. The Council expressed its full support for the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whatever its origin or its objectives. The Council also supported the legitimate and legal measures taken by Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks on diplomatic and consular missions in Iran, affirming the statements issued by member and non-member states, the United Nations Security Council, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council and regional and international organizations, which strongly condemned and denounced the attacks on the embassy and consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation called for action to renounce the sectarian agenda because of its devastating effects and serious implications on the security and stability of the Member States and on international peace and security, and called on all Member States and the international community to take serious and effective steps to prevent the occurrence or recurrence of such attacks in the future on diplomatic and consular missions to Iran.