OIC, US hold Consultations at State Department in Washington

A delegation from the OIC General Secretariat led by the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, and Social Affairs, OIC Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Tariq Ali Bakheet, held bilateral consultations on the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and the situation in Afghanistan, with senior officials from US Department of State, in Washington, D.C.

Both sides exchanged views on the daunting humanitarian challenges facing the Rohingya Muslims, especially against the backdrop of the unfolding developments in Myanmar, and underscored the need to scale up international efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons.

The US side led by Ambassador Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary for South & Central Asian Affairs, expressed its appreciation for OIC’s unflinching commitment to the Rohingya cause and emphasized the readiness to work closely with the OIC to provide further humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees.

The OIC delegation also had a productive meeting with Ambassador John Mark Pommersheim, Afghanistan, and Central Asia Deputy Assistant Secretary.

Ambassador Bakheet highlighted the OIC’s engagement in Afghanistan both at the humanitarian level and the constructive dialogue with the de facto authorities on all the important issues stipulated in the resolutions adopted by the OIC Summit and the Council of Foreign Ministers.