New York, October 19, SPA --Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu who led the OIC delegation to the Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Muslim and Western Countries “Common World: Progress through Diversity” addressed on 17th October 2008 the opening of the Conference in which he shared his belief that it is only through acknowledging and celebrating diversity that both the Muslim and the Western worlds can promote reciprocal knowledge of culture, religious and ethnic diversity. This process will help them build a framework for commonly shared values, intercultural competencies and foster dialogue aiming at attaining sustainable understanding, peace and harmony; he was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the OIC. Ihsanoglu emphasized that with the reforms that OIC has witnessed since the adoption of its new charter, democracy and good governance have gained prominence. In this context, he stated, that the document “…asserts the rule of law, upholds and safeguards fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and accountability. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/599209