CAIRO, July 20. /TASS/. Iraq has addressed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, requesting an emergency session over the desecration of the Quran in Stockholm, Iraqi Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf said on Thursday.

"The foreign minister has sent a request to Iraq’s permanent representative in Jeddah with instructions to renew Iraq’s petition to hold an emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in order to discuss the repeated desecration of the Quran," the Alsumaria TV channel quoted him as saying. Additionally, the diplomat said that Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein had instructed to send a "document on the unfolding events" surrounding the burning of the Muslim holy book to the League of Arab States (LAS).

"The government’s measures with regard to the burning of the Quran correspond to the principles of respect for monotheistic religions," the spokesman said, noting that "diplomatic procedures on the emergency closure of [Iraq’s] embassy in Stockholm and the departure of the Swedish ambassador from Baghdad have already been launched.".