The fate of a hoped-for emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on the Middle East crisis was in doubt Tuesday, diplomats said.
"We don't know what is happening but, the more time that goes by, the less likely it is, given the regular meeting already scheduled," a top-ranking Arab diplomat told AFP.
Iran, acting president of the OIC for a few more weeks, has been pushing without success for an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers before the scheduled reunion of OIC heads of state in Doha next month.
The diplomat said Tehran had requested a meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah for Saturday but that he feared the matter could be a "dead issue."
Another Arab diplomat said that the snap Arab summit in Cairo last week had also worked against holding the ministerial meeting.
The state IRNA news agency on Saturday cited OIC Secretary General Ezzeddin Laraki as saying the 56-member group was prepared to go ahead with the gathering.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Sunday blasted Arab nations for "procrastinating" on the Middle East crisis and failing to co-ordinate with the OIC.
Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and is opposed to the peace process.
State radio said Tuesday that Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi held telephone talks with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, but that there was no mention of any OIC meeting.
Qatar is due to take over the OIC's rotating presidency at next month's gathering in Doha beginning November 9 -- TEHRAN (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
