Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for reform to religious discurse in his speech at the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) on Thursday.
At the conference being held in Turkey, Shouky spoke on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi where he reviewed Egypt’s leadership during the previous OIC conference. Shoukry also gave an account of the security challenges faced by the international organization which include massacres in Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Somalia which are often attributed to Muslims.
“There should be an increased effort among Islamic countries to empower them to combat those challenges,” Shoukry said.
The relationship between Cairo and Ankara has been strained since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood government on 3 July 2013.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hesham Badr represented Egypt during the preparatory meetings in Turkey between foreign ministers.
Leaders gathered at the summit will discuss diplomatic negotiations surrounding Palestinian and Syria and the efforts to end conflicts in Yemen and Libya, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zaid.
The Egyptian delegation will emphasise counter-terrorism efforts in the framework of OIC, Abu Zeid said.
