JEDDAH The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, appealed again to all leaders and parties in Afghanistan to work together for an urgent and lasting ceasefire and an end to violence. He urged all to engage in dialogue in order to reach comprehensive reconciliation and lasting peace within the framework of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. In these critical circumstances, which require support, solidarity and national unity to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the Secretary General stressed the need for all leaders and parties to support the preventive efforts and measures taken by the Republic of Afghanistan to curb the spread of the disease and protect its citizens from the spread of the epidemic. In this regard, the Secretary General recalled the resolutions issued by the OIC Summit and ministerial meetings and the Makkah Declaration of 11 July 2018 adopted by the “International Conference of Scholars for Peace and Security in Afghanistan”. He reaffirmed the OIC’s firm commitment to assist theAfghan people in achieving comprehensive reconciliation, lasting peace, stability and development, within the framework of national consensus. The OIC Secretary General had welcomed the signing of the agreement between the United States of America and the Afghan Taliban in the Qatari capital, Doha, on 29 February 2020, which is hoped to pave the way for negotiations involving all Afghan parties towards a peaceful political settlement through the Afghan-led peace process.—PR
