26 May 2004 04:36
Malaysian FM Hamid says EU, Russia share OIC`s views on Palestinian issue
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Kuala Lumpur, [Tuesday] 25 May: The European Union (EU) and Russia share the same views in many aspects with the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on the Israeli-Palestine conflict, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid
Albar said Tuesday.
He said they agree that military force would not resolve the issue.
They concurred with the OIC that the Road Map for Peace in the Middle East should not be abandoned and negotiations
and dialogues should be the way to settle the protracted crisis, he told reporters at Parliament lobby.
Syed Hamid met his Russian counterpart and EU president, who is also his Irish counterpart, last week to present the
OIC Declaration and to discuss latest developments in the Middle East.
The other two members of the four-member Quartet are the United Nations and the United States. Syed Hamid is expected
to meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and US Secretary of State Colin Powell on 2 June.
Describing his visit to Russia and EU as "very positive and constructive", Syed Hamid said the meetings
enabled both sides to exchange views on Palestine "in a very frank and transparent manner".
"They also expect the visit not to be a one-off visit. They want continuos interaction," he said.
Syed Hamid said the meetings gave him the opportunity to give inputs on the perception of Muslims on international
issues that still remained unresolved and "how it could be solved from our point of view."
"From the discussions we held, we can know what are the areas we share, common views, where we differ and how we
can narrow down the differences and how to contribute positively to the security and stability of the region," he
said.
He said the visits also enabled Malaysia to register the importance of OIC as an organization that represented the
Islamic ummah [Muslim community] on matters that affected Islamic countries, especially on the current situation in Iraq
and Palestine.
"The Palestine and Iraqi conflicts not only have an impact at the international arena but also in the region and
among Muslim communities," he added.
[Bernama news agency web site] |
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