OIC offers to mediate between KSA, Iran

RIYADH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned protesters in Iran for attacking Saudi Arabia’s missions, but has indicated it would do everything possible to ensure the standoff between the two countries can be resolved on a diplomatic level.
Tareq Bakheit, the OIC’s director of political affairs, said the organization would be prepared to play the role of mediator if asked to do so, according to a report in a local publication on Tuesday.
Bakheit said sectarianism threatens to damage the Muslim world and that the OIC, which cannot take sides between nations, wants to ensure that peace and stability prevails.
He said the OIC’s extraordinary meeting taking place in Saudi Arabia soon would discuss the latest developments, especially the aggression against the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran. The resolutions of the meeting would be made public, he said.
He said the OIC is committed to its charter and cannot intervene in the internal affairs of member countries or side with one country against another. However, it has called on Iran to respect the Vienna Charter for Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and the Vienna Accord for Consular Relations of 1963, in addition to international laws, which protects diplomatic missions in all countries.
Bakheit said that since its establishment the OIC has played an important role in solving conflict in several member countries in accordance with approved resolutions from previous Islamic summits.