Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Abbas Araghchi Departs for Baghdad to Attend 52nd OIC Foreign Ministers Session
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Araghchi arrived in Baghdad to attend the 52nd OIC Foreign Ministers' Meeting. He heads a diplomatic delegation to the Baghdad OIC session.
Araghchi heads to Baghdad
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed on Saturday for Baghdad to attend the 52nd session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers. Araghchi was scheduled to present Iran’s positions and hold bilateral meetings with fellow foreign ministers at the meeting in Baghdad. Iraq took over the presidency of the session from Turkey, and the meeting was held under the theme “Dialogue and Solidarity: Two Essential Pillars for Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi opened the 52nd session in Baghdad and told the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting that accepting differences eases disputes and proposed linking energy networks. The OIC consists of 57 member states and is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to Breakingthenews.net.
Condemnations and solidarity
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of Iran’s targeting of the sovereignty and territories of neighboring member states including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The General Secretariat affirmed its full solidarity with these states in facing any attack on their sovereignty, security, and stability, and it renewed its call for an immediate stop to any escalation actions.
The World Muslim League also condemned, in a severe denunciation today, Saturday, the Iranian aggression against a number of Arab countries.
Secretary-General, Chairman of the European Organization of Muslim Scholars, Dr. Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa described the attack as a flagrant aggression against religious values, laws, and international and humanitarian norms.
The meeting’s agenda was framed around regional crises and cooperation, with Palestine and Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza listed as high on the agenda by Middle East Monitor.
Diplomatic priorities and stakes
Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesperson ambassador Hassanein Kamel said the 52nd session opened in Baghdad on Saturday with all participating delegations arriving before the meeting began. Kurdistan24 reported that Zaidi reaffirmed Iraq’s unchanged position on the Palestinian cause and described it as the core of the region’s conflicts. Khabarghazī-ye Mehr reported that the meeting, which lasts until tomorrow, Sunday, would discuss issues of interest to member states, foremost the Palestinian issue and developments in the Gaza Strip, along with regional and international developments and economic, social, and developmental topics.
Mehr News Agency reported that Araghchi paid tribute at the site where Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were martyred in a US strike shortly after arriving in Baghdad. PressTV said the agenda was expected to cover developments in Palestine, the humanitarian and political situation across the region, economic cooperation, food security, and coordination among member states in addressing shared challenges.