U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said that he was “eager” to deepen ties between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). “Our organizations continue to make progress on an array of shared concerns, and I am eager to deepen our ties,” Ban said in a message to the OIC-U.N. General Meeting on Cooperation taking place in Istanbul, Turkey. “I know we are both encouraged that proximity talks between Palestinians and Israelis have started. I appreciate the support of the OIC and hope that we will soon see a resumption of direct negotiations that tackle all final status issues, including Jerusalem,” Ban stated. The U.N. chief also expressed gratitude for the OIC's support of peace efforts in Afghanistan and Sudan as well its support of the U.N.-backed Djibouti peace agreement in Somalia and for the OIC's efforts in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia. --MORE
