RIFT AMONG OIC EXPERTS OVER KOSOVO

B92
March 11 2008
Serbia

DAKAR — Disagreement over Kosovo was reported ahead of an Organization
of the Islamic Conference (OIC) session.

Strong disagreements broke out after Turkey attempted to secure
that the closing document of the 11th OIC summit should include an
article expressing the recognition of the independence of Kosovo,
Russian media reported from the Senegalese capital of Dakar on Tuesday.

Quoting reports in Turkish papers and statements by diplomats of
Azerbaijan, from which the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh has
seceded, the media said that Turkey wanted to contribute an article
on the recognition of the independence of Kosovo, but that other
countries, primarily Azerbaijan, Egypt, Sudan, and Indonesia, were
against such an initiative.

In the end, it was decided that the document should include only an
article expressing solidarity with the people of Kosovo, and Turkey
announced that it will continue defending its position at meetings
of ministers and presidents of OIC countries.

The Muslim countries that have so far recognized the secession of
Kosovo are Albania, Turkey, Malaysia, Afghanistan, and Senegal,
and such a move is being planned by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates, the Russian media said.