According to TNA, speaking at the 33rd Ministerial Meeting of the OIC in Azerbaijan, Mr Kantathi noted that the difference in religions among local residents is not the root-cause of the insurgency in the country' southern border region.

"We, government officials concerned, have learned that the difference in religions is actually not the root-cause of the unrest in Thailand's deep South although it has been wrongly cited as the cause," he said.

"The OIC has also realised the point. The Thai government is, therefore, attempting to solve the problem at its real cause, but taking different religions and cultures among local people into good account," the Thai foreign minister indicated.

Mr Kantathi urged OIC member states to condemn those masterminding the violence and involved in unrest in Thailand's three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani.

The Thai foreign minister paid a courtesy call on President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the sideline of the meeting.

Mr Kantathi represented the Thai government as well in signing a protocal on bilateral cooperation in various areas with the government of the Azerbaijan Republic.

The Thai foreign minister also held bilateral talks with his counterparts from other OIC member states including Bahrain and Turkey.

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