- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Russia hopes to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference - Foreign Ministry

Subscribe

MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia hopes to join the Organization of the Islamic Conference as an observer, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday prior to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's three-day visit to Yemen.

Lavrov will attend a conference of OIC foreign ministers during his visit. The Foreign Ministry's spokesman, Alexander Yakovenko, said the conference was likely to discuss Russia's accession as an observer.

Yakovenko said the discussion in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, would revolve round Russia's interaction with the Muslim community to build a secure world and solve a number of international and regional problems. He added that Lavrov would present an approach capable of doing this at the OIC conference.

"Accordingly, the practice of Russia's guest attendance at the organization's conferences will be resumed," Yakovenko said.

"Moscow is satisfied with the expansion of cooperation between Russia and the Islamic world," he said. He added that this could be seen in heightened trade and economic relations with the leading Islamic states, and expanded political contacts.

Yakovenko said Russia, as a great Eurasian power situated where the Christian and Islamic worlds meet, could make a great contribution to establishing practical partnership, interaction and dialogue.

"We proceed from the basis that international terrorism and religious extremism have nothing in common with Islam," Yakovenko. The spokesman continued that Russia and the Muslim world were "not only partners but strategic allies" in the fight against international terrorism and religious extremism.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала