ISTANBUL, Feb 13 (A.A) - The press release of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)-European Union (EU) Joint Forum said on Wednesday that the proposal made by France which foresaw the recognition of Palestinian state at the beginning of the peace process not at the end, was adopted.
The press release said that the Middle East conflict must be settled in a just and compherensive manner and in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations (U.N) Security Council resolutions.
In this context, the ''two state'' solution will contribute to bring peace and security to the peoples concerned, the press release noted.
The press release drew the attention that history has taught them that the lack of mutual knowledge and respect among civilizations can greatly affect world stability and peace. It said that harmony and welfare are nurtured when different peoples make communication a priority, taking the time to express and listen to each other's views and interests, acknowledging and tolerating differences, while at the same time seeking out commonalities that can help build strong relationships that promote political and economic cooperation.
The press release said that the tragic events of September 11th and their repercussions have shown the need to strengthen tolerance and understanding among different cultures to avoid reapperance of deeply rooted prejudices that can surface.
''The horrifying attacks of September 11th are purely brutal acts of terrorism and they cannot be explained or justified for religion, cultural or any other reasons whatsoever. On the other hand, September 11th has also sparked a growing consciousness of the need for all sides to discuss and attempt to better understand the differences in perceptions, values and interests, as well as to promote tolerance and appreciation for cultural diversity among them. We jointly have a responsibility to address and resolve issues which can lead to divisions within and between our communities, to embrace and value our diversities, and to promote and uphold the valueas we all share,'' the statement noted.
The forum reaffirms its strong belief that cultures, in their diversity, complement an enhance one another, the press release said.
The press release stated that the attendees expressed their belief in the harmony among the civilizations.
The main means to support coherence and solidarity and to avoid racial, religious and cultural prejudices is to enhance their knowledge of one another through communication and cooperation for the promotion of common universal values, the press release said.
The press release noted, ''to this end, two political organizations, the EU and the OIC have a joint responsibility to contribute to the achievement of these goals.''
The press release said that the Forum has concluded that there is a need for further cooperation and proposes that existing bilateral and multilateral frameworks continue to be used for general debate on the issues raised during the meeting.
The statement pointed out that the Forum noted with appreciation the invitation of Emir of Qatar Sheik Hamad Bin Jabir al-Thani in his capacity as current Chairman of OIC to host OIC-EU Troika meeting in the second half of the current year, in Doha and thanked the Government of Turkey for the initiative and effort in organizing the Forum that constituted an event of great political significance.