Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid on Wednesday called for solidarity with Muslims facing persecution and suffering in different parts of the world.
He made the statement at the preparatory Foreign Ministers' Meeting for the 14th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The meeting was attended by Foreign Ministers of Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers agreed to adopt the agenda and work programme of the 14th Islamic Summit Conference. In addition, the ministers agreed to deliberate on the final communiqué of the summit, the Makkah Declaration, and the Draft Resolution on the Cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Ash Sharif building on from the Senior Officials Meeting in order to be finalised and adopted at the Summit.
Maldives extended its full support to the Makkah Declaration and the resolution on Palestine and called for the adoption by consensus of the two documents.
In his statement at the Preparatory Meeting, Minister Shahid called for significant cooperation and sharing of experiences to find common solutions to challenges and threats faced by the Islamic Ummah. Minister Shahid also said that historic and friendly relations along with the mutual belief in the concept of 'shura', or consultation, is what unites the Islamic world.
With the Palestinian cause being a central issue to the Muslim world, Minister Shahid reaffirmed Maldives’ unwavering support to the people of Palestine, their right to self-determination and their right to live with peace, prosperity and dignity. He also called for solidarity with Muslims facing persecution and suffering in different parts of the world.
Honoured to be in Jeddah amongst my colleagues, the Foreign Ministers of the @OIC_OCI Member States, for the Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in preparation for the #OICMakkahSummit. Looking forward to discussions on challenges faced by our Islamic Ummah. pic.twitter.com/3losGw1td7
— Abdulla Shahid 🎈 (@abdulla_shahid) May 29, 2019
In doing so, Minister Shahid committed Maldives’ support to counter the prevalent atmosphere of Islamophobia around the world. He also called on world leaders to recognise the urgency of addressing climate change.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Shahid held separate sit-downs with a number of bilateral partners, including the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, Jordan, Indonesia, Brunei and Egypt. Minister Shahid reviewed relations with their respective countries and discussed matters of mutual interest, including ways of further enhancing bilateral cooperation. He also met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and discussed increased development assistance and further strengthening ties between Maldives and Saudi Arabia.
The 14th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference is due to be held in Mecca on May 31, 2019.
Minister Shahid was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Salman Zaki, and Third Secretary at the Embassy of Maldives in Saudi Arabia Shafagath Shaheed.
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