TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is set to visit Switzerland and Malaysia to discuss regional and international issues, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

Zarif is scheduled to pay a visit to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur to take part in the upcoming emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), addressing the conditions of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Over the past four years, the minority Rohingya Muslim population has suffered from severe atrocities committed by the Burmese government and the xenophobic Buddhist nationalist movements. Since then, hundreds of Rohingya people have been killed and thousands have been displaced and forced to live in camps in dire conditions.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has taken a strong stance against what it called “ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingya Muslims, calling for an end to the atrocities committed against the minority in Myanmar.

Led by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, the OIC meeting will be held on January 19 to gather fifty-six representatives from around the world in order to put more efforts into resolving the Rohingya Muslim crisis.

This is while Myanmar government denies full citizenship to the 1.1-million-strong Rohingya population, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. However, the Rohingya people are believed to be indigenous to Rakhine State, Myanmar.

In recent months, rights groups have expressed deep concerns over reports of killings, rapes, arrests and other violations in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine State.

They have called for independent investigations into the ongoing operations, rights abuses and killings in the area, which has been under military lockdown since 2012.

Iran’s foreign minister also wrote to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on January 6, urging international action to stop rights violations against the Rohingya Muslims.

Prior to his visit to Malaysia, Zarif will make a short stop in Switzerland to participate in the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, due to be held from Tuesday to Friday.

About 3,000 delegates from across the world will attend the annual meetings.

During the meetings, Zarif will address the latest developments in the region, particularly the Syrian crisis.

MH/PA