Russia Supports Decision to Restore Syria’s Membership in OIC

Russia's permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ramazan Abdulatipov, said Moscow will support the decision to restore Syria’s membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

"I am sure that Syria's return to the OIC is a long-awaited matter. Russia will support such a decision, and will provide the necessary assistance, if necessary,” Abdulatipov added, in his interview with "Sputnik".

Earlier, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, mentioned that Moscow welcomes the resumption of Syria's participation in the activities of the League of Arab States.

The spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, stated that the foreign ministers of the League of Arab States agreed in Cairo, during an extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the Arab League, on the return of Syria to the organization.

Syria's membership in the OIC was suspended in 2012, by a decision of the heads of state of the organization, who met in an emergency meeting in Mecca.

The OIC is an international organization of Islamic countries established in 1969. Russia has observer status in the organization.