1st LD Writethru: Mauritania's Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed elected OIC secretary-general

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Former Mauritanian Foreign Minister Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was elected secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) by consensus on Thursday, succeeding Hissein Brahim Taha.

The decision was made during an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers at the organization's headquarters in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

The 65-year-old Mauritanian diplomat will serve a five-year term as OIC secretary-general.

In his remarks following the election, Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he was taking up the post with "a deep sense of the magnitude of the responsibility and the weight of the trust."

He said nearly two billion Muslims were looking to an organization that is "more present, more influential and more capable of serving their causes and defending their interests," while contributing to a future of security, peace, dignity and harmony.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the Palestinian cause would remain the OIC's central issue, pledging continued support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also pledged to step up the OIC's efforts to combat Islamophobia and hate speech, promote dialogue and mutual respect, and build broader partnerships with the international community.

The OIC, founded in 1969, comprises 57 member states. Under its charter, the secretary-general is elected by the Council of Foreign Ministers to a five-year term, which may be renewed once. Enditem