The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, greeted yesterday many heads of states, prime ministers, ministers, diplomats, prominent media figures, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon at a reception hosted by him at the Waldrof Astoria Hotel in New York City, on the occasion of the OIC 40th anniversary. In an address at the occasion, The Secretary General said the OIC is an inter-governmental organization set to enhance the bonds of solidarity and cooperation among its Member States, coordinate their endeavors in the political, economic and cultural fields. He emphasized that after four decades of its existence, the OIC now constitutes an arena where a significant part of its Member States' external relations is streamlined. "Moreover, the OIC is the second largest political organization of the world after the United Nations. It is the voice and representative of 1.5 billion Muslims spread over a wide geography extending from the Atlantic shores to the confines of China and the shores of the islands of the Philippines and Indonesia, and in addition, countries in South America," he added. --MORE
