The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, held a meeting in New York with the Secretary General of United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. During the meeting on September 19, the two secretaries-general discussed the means of furthering cooperation and coordination between the OIC and the UN, according to a press release of the OIC. On his part, Ban Ki-moon expressed his satisfaction concerning the scope of cooperation between the UN and the OIC and stressed the importance of institutionalizing the relationship between the two organizations. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation and coordination between the UN and the OIC with regard to issues related to the Middle East, including the issues of Darfur, Somalia, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. With regard to Iraq, Ban Ki-moon stressed that the OIC could play a larger role to help Iraqis overcome the dilemma facing their country. He also stressed that the UN and the OIC should capitalize on the momentum of the Annapolis Peace Conference to achieve peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. --MORE
