Crown Prince attends Islamic Summit in Istanbul

Istanbul : On behalf of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, yesterday participated in the 13th Islamic Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey.

During the opening day, the Crown Prince emphasised the vital role played by unity and cooperation in confronting the ongoing challenges faced by the Muslim world. 

Prince Salman stressed that  OIC is a unique and important forum for the Muslim nations to come together and address common challenges, adding that this provides an opportunity to clearly demonstrate Islam’s inherent peaceful and tolerant principles.

Prince   Salman also underlined the instrumental role of HM the King in supporting diversity and reinforcing unity among Bahraini society, while highlighting the pioneering role  played by him in supporting initiatives that reinforce religious and cultural respect. 

The Crown Prince then welcomed the Summit’s highly relevant topics of discussion, noting that the agenda underscores the significant political and economic challenges facing Muslims in the Middle East and all around the globe.

Prince Salman also noted that the specific theme of the OIC Summit “Unity and Solidarity for Justice and Peace” represents a powerful statement of Islamic nations’ collective commitment to spreading the true Islamic values of justice and peace.

Praising the efforts of the OIC’s Secretary General, the Crown Prince expressed hope that the Summit would provide beneficial outcomes that further increase Islamic cooperation across all sectors. 

The Deputy Supreme Commander also appreciated Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for hosting the event and their continued efforts to strengthen Islamic collaboration.

The Summit was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Director-General of the Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Bahrain’s Ambassador to Turkey, Dr Ebrahim Al Abdulla.

Bahrain’s delegation to the work sessions of the Summit was led by Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa. 

The agenda of the first day focused particularly on the Palestinian cause, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the detrimental impact of terror and extremism on the image of Islam.

Other key economic, political and social issues of concern to the Muslim World also took centre stage on the first day of the Summit.

The Deputy Premier later attended a lunch banquet hosted by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, where he discussed issues featuring on the summit agenda, in addition to outstanding relations binding Bahrain and other friendly countries.