OIC turns down Trump's Middle East peace plan
Updated 22:32, 03-Feb-2020
CGTN

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has agreed on a resolution to reject United States President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, saying it "does not meet the minimum aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and contradicts the terms of reference of the peace process."

They also called on all 57 member states not to deal with the plan or help implement it.

The resolution was made after the Open-Ended Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.

With member states from four continents, the OIC is the second-largest intergovernmental organization in the world after the United Nations, with a collective population reaching more than 1.8 billion.

While the 22 members of the Arab League are also part of the OIC, the organization has several significant non-Arab member states, including Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.

Leaders and representatives of member states pose for a group photo during an extraordinary summit of the OIC on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. /AFP Photo

Leaders and representatives of member states pose for a group photo during an extraordinary summit of the OIC on U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. /AFP Photo

Turkey's Foreign Minister will attend the meeting to discuss the most recent developments with regard to Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the ministry said in a statement. Turkey has blasted the peace plan, calling the agreement "an annexation plan aiming at usurping Palestinian lands and killing a two-state solution."

The Arab League completely rejected Trump's Middle East plan during an emergency meeting in Egypt's capital two days ago, saying it would not lead to a just peace deal.

Saudi authorities did not issue visas for Iranian participants to attend the meeting, ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said. 

"The government of Saudi Arabia has prevented the participation of the Iranian delegation in the meeting to examine the 'deal of the century' plan at the headquarters of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation," Mousavi said.

Iranian officials condemned Trump's plan for resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine as a non-starter after it was officially announced last week. 

The Palestinian leadership also rejected the plan, saying it heavily favors Israel and will deny Palestinians a viable independent state.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the plan challenges the internationally agreed parameters, noting that the EU shares the commitment to a two-state solution and respect for international law.

(Cover: File photo)