Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), leaves on Monday for Washington, at the head of a high-level delegation, for an official meeting with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ihsanoglu is expected to discuss OIC-US relations with Clinton, in the light of the new and positive language from the US toward the Mideast region as exemplified by President Barack Obama's Cairo speech to the Muslim World earlier this month, according to a press release of the OIC issued here on Saturday. This important meeting is also coming on the heels of President Obama's visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Turkey and of the renewed American efforts to create chances for peace in the Middle East region. A major theme of the OIC Secretary General's discussion with the US Secretary of State will be the Palestinian question and other issues of common concern as well as the OIC's humanitarian efforts in Pakistan. Cooperation between the OIC and Washington started some time ago with the appointment of a special envoy to the OIC by the American administration. This has contributed to boosting cooperation between the two sides, particularly in the context of building partnership in the area of healthcare. In the framework of cooperation with the United States, the OIC in December 2008 signed a healthcare agreement with the US under the theme: “Emergency Healthcare for Mothers and Babies in the OIC member states.” __
