On the margins of his participation in the 4th meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People Group, held in Marrakech, Kingdom of Morocco, on 12 December 2012, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, met with Dr Saad Dine El Otmani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco. The two sides reviewed the tragic situation in Syria with the continuation of bloodshed which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Syrian citizens and rendered than 1.5 million of them displaced or refugees. They stressed the need to act quickly to find a peaceful solution that would guarantee transfer of power to meet the legitimate demands of the Syrian people and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. They also reviewed the latest developments on the Palestinian question in light of the State of Palestine obtaining the status of an observer state at the United Nations. They stressed the need for all member states to stand in solidarity with and support the State of Palestine at international fora. On another hand, the Secretary General received Sheikh Ahmad Muaz Al Khateeb, Chairman of the National Coalition of the Syrian Opposition and Dr George Sabra, Chairman of the Syrian National Council and discussed with them the situation in Syria and the outcomes of the 4th meeting of the Friends of the People of Syria Group. The Secretary General delivered an address at the 4th meeting of the Friends of the People of Syria Group which focused on the efforts of the OIC aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis and the humanitarian assistance it has provided to the Syrian people.