Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s policies have “incited sectarianism” in Iraq, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Thursday during a conference in the kingdom.

Prince Faisal, who urged Maliki to follow Saudi Arabia’s “footsteps in eradicating terrorism,” dismissed the Iraqi premier’s accusation that that kingdom is supporting radical militants as “baseless,” during his closing remarks in the 41st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers Conference.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most countries that has suffered from terrorism, he said, adding that Maliki’s polices of excluding the Sunni population in Iraq have led to unrest.

The Saudi-based OIC, which claims to represent more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, affirmed Thursday a commitment to unity in combatting “sectarian” policies.

A two-day meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah affirmed that OIC members will stand “united in combatting sectarian, confessional, and exclusion policies that have led to sedition in some countries and threatened their security and stability,” said a statement read by Prince Faisal.

The situation in Iraq, Syria and the Palestinian territories - followed with the region’s national security - took up much of the discussions for OIC foreign ministers.

At the conference, the ministers in attendance also discussed challenges faced by Muslim minorities in some countries.

Al Arabiya