FOREIGN MINISTER TO HOLD SINGAPORE TALKS

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Saba) - Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi is
holding talks today with a number of Singaporean officials including
his counterpart Gerorge Yeo, the September 26 website reported on
Monday.

The talks come as al-Qirbi is continuing his overseas trip that
included stops in Italy and China. From Singapore, al-Qirbi will fly
to Tajikistan for the 37th round of Foreign Ministers of the member
states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,.

The round, which starts Tuesday in the capital of Dushanbe, will
discuss issues related to the government's efforts to shelter the
refugees in Saada.

Abdul Elah Hajar, Director of International Organizations and
Conferences at the Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying that the
agenda of the round on the matter will include two resolutions: one
of them concerning supporting the efforts to shelter the
war-displaced people in the far north and calling on Islamic states
to support these efforts, and the second related to confirming the
support of the OIC members for Yemen's unity and stability.

Regionally, Palestine and al-Quds as well as the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict will top the round agenda. Other issues including the
situation in Somalia, Iraq, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan,
solidarity with Sudan, the situations in Cyprus and Kosovo and the
OIC role in resolving disputes among member states would be
discussed as well.

According to a statement previously issued by the organization, the
FMs will also address issues related to the Muslim groups and
communities in non-member states.

Fighting Islamophobia is a matter of discussion as well, the
statement noted.

Moreover, the round will deal with economic and trade cooperation
among the OIC countries and ways of supporting science and
technology universities.

According to the statement, the round draws significance because it
will look into finalizing the establishment of the Islamic permanent
independent authority of human rights and a special body for family
management affairs within the OIC Secretariat General.

Also, it will approve the guidelines for a supervisor for the
organization and the basic system for women's development in the
member states.

Regarding the media, the session will discuss restructuring media
institutions within the International Islamic News Agency and
finalize issues related to the Islamic News Agencies Federation.

FR