European Union foreign policy chiefs urged the bloc on Friday to work with Islamic states on a joint U.N. resolution to help ease tensions caused by a row over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, according to Reuters. The call came as the head of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) criticised the EU for not doing enough to heal wounds with Muslims caused by the affair. Controversy over the cartoons first published last year in a Danish newspaper and since reprinted in other European media sparked worldwide protests by Muslims who believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet. At least 50 people were killed in violent protests. The 25 EU foreign ministers discussed ways of rebuilding trust with the Islamic world. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner suggested in a joint paper that the EU and the OIC could draft a joint resolution at the United Nations promoting religious tolerance. The EU and the OIC previously presented two competing resolutions to the U.N. General Assembly, but EU countries voted against the OIC text because it focused too narrowly on discrimination against Islam, an EU official said. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told reporters he was not sure EU and OIC countries could agree on a joint text. --SP 23 29 Local Time 20 29 GMT
