Mubarak meet OIC chief on regional issues

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Monday met with visiting Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on the Palestinian issue, the situation in Iraq and the state of affairs in the Gulf region, the official news agency MENA reported.

The meeting covered means of enhancing the work of the OIC, based in the Saudi city of Jeddah, in face of challenges facing the Arab and Islamic world, said MENA.

Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said Ihsanoglu presented Mubarak with the outcome of his talks with European leaders including the latest one with French President Jacques Chirac.

Ihsanoglu told reporters after the meeting that he listened to Mubarak's views towards the current events in the Palestinian territories and Iraq as well as other issues of interest to the Islamic world.

Ihsanoglu also said Tuesday's meeting between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas is important and the Palestinian leaders should not waste this important chance.

Ihsanoglu said he felt regret that internal fighting erupted in the Palestinian territories two weeks after reaching a truce.

He called on the Palestinians to control militia that became disobedient to any political decision, warning that this is a serious curve in the history of the Palestinian issue.

At least 27 Palestinians have been killed during a four-day clashes between Hamas and Fatah, starting late Thursday.

Fierce clashes have repeatedly broken out since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for early elections last December.

Source: Xinhua