JEDDAH, 15 July 2003 — The government of Saudi Arabia and the 55-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have welcomed the formation of the new governing council in Iraq and expressed their hope that the move will help the Iraqi people achieve their aspirations.
“We hope the formation of the Iraqi Governing Council will be a constructive step in meeting the Iraqi people’s aspirations of living in security and leading a dignified life,” Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd told the Cabinet in its weekly session.
Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said the king also expressed his hope that the move would “lead to the establishment of a legitimate government acceptable to the Iraqi people to guarantee Iraq’s independence, unity and sovereignty.”
In Jeddah yesterday, the OIC said it considered the Iraqi Governing Council a first step toward the restoration of the country’s sovereignty and national independence in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
OIC Secretary General Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz expressed his hope that the progress of restoring power to the Iraqi people would continue so the country would be able to run its own affairs and called for the council to be provided with more powers. He described Iraq as being a country that occupies a “privileged position” in the Islamic world.
“It should be considered as a legitimate request to provide the council with extended powers and set up an Iraqi government which will define and implement a constitution for the country to serve the interests and national unity of the Iraqi people,” Belkeziz said in a statement.
