ISTANBUL - ''Islamic Countries Democracy Congress'' hosted by Turkey ended on Wednesday at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul. A joint declaration was issued after the congress.
Congress Spokesman and Yemeni People's Congress Party Secretary General Abdulkarim al-Aryani read out the joint declaration.
Al-Aryani recalled that former and current heads of state, deputies, representatives of political parties and nongovernmental organizations from European, Asian, Middle Eastern and African countries attended the congress.
Al-Aryani said that the declaration stressed that Islamic culture included tolerance, justice and peace and said that the declaration underlined that those principles were the basis for democratic governance, more peaceful and prosperous world.
Stating that they believed that all countries and people who followed those principles on that platform would contribute to esteem of people, social unity, economic prosperity and security and they would also support development of tolerance and peace between all peoples, al-Aryani said that they were determined to continue their initiatives and information network between democrats of Islamic world.
Replying to a question on his view whether the Greater Middle East Initiative would bring peace to the region or not, al-Aryani said that preliminary studies on the congress started two years ago and noted that such an initiative had not been on the agenda then.
Al-Aryani added that there was not a connection between this congress and the Greater Middle East Initiative.
Kingdom of Bahrain Council First Deputy Chairman Abdurrahman Cemsir said that the joint declaration which was issued at the end of the congress would be sent to all parliaments, heads of state, leaders of political parties and nongovernmental organizations of countries; especially the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.
(EÖ-AY) 14.04.2004