TEHRAN -- President Mohammad Khatami said here Tuesday that Muslim states need cooperation and solidarity to ensure security and peace as well as efforts to offset their backwardness.

 President Khatami told the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Abdelouahed Belkeziz that the world of Islam, possessing abundant spiritual and financial facilities and inspired by lofty ideals of Islam, is capable of attaining its proper status in the world.
Khatami stressed the need for stronger ties among governments and nations in Muslim states.
He said the stronger the ties are, Muslim states would show more resistance in all fields, especially in defending their national interests.
He added that Muslim states should be vanguards of establishing peace on the basis of justice in the region.
The president pointed to continued aggressions by the Zionist regime in occupied territories and the status of the oppressed Palestinian nation, stressing that permanent peace in the region would not be restored unless Palestinians' rights are restored.
He hoped that the OIC would be able to play a more active role at the regional and international levels through further cooperation with the UN and other international communities.
He said all Muslim states have the duty to fight terrorism.
He opposed U.S. unilateralism and said the OIC foreign ministers meeting in Tehran should work out strategies and reach consensus on problems facing Muslim countries and the region.
Prior to the president's speech, Belkeziz expressed pleasure with the OIC meeting, saying that it is hoped to guarantee closer stances and change in strategies as well as ratification of proposals that would serve interests of Muslim states.
He stressed solidarity in the world of Islam at the present sensitive juncture.
He added that Muslim states' trust in each other and the governments' political determination would help the OIC to play a better role.
Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi also on Tuesday urged the OIC change its approach and focus on basic questions of the Islamic world.
The OIC cannot "confront problems by using traditional and old methods" and there is need to "bring about a serious change to the approach of the Organization of the Islamic Conference," he told OIC secretary general, ahead of an Islamic session here.
"The Organization of the Islamic Conference must shun peripheral issues and focus on the main subjects of the Islamic world instead," Kharrazi said.
Foreign ministers of 57 countries, all OIC members, will gather here from May 28-31 to discuss issues of the region which is reeling from the fallout of the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
Other subjects on the agenda are the Palestinian issue, including the status of Beit-ul-Moqaddas, terrorism, and dialogue among civilizations.
They will also discuss the situation in Afghanistan as well as the challenges of Muslim minorities around the world, especially in flashpoint areas.
Among the participants is Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Maher, and Arab League chief Amr Moussa. Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople, whose country houses a large Muslim community in the dominantly Christian country, has also been invited to the plenary meeting.