TEHRAN Foreign ministers of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the European Union (EU) gathered together on Tuesday in a two-day meeting aimed at improving relations between West and Islam.

Criticism of the United States' anti-terrorism campaign marked the start on Tuesday, said AFP in a report from Istanbul.

The criticism came from Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, who accused the United States of a "unilateral and militarist" approach in the anti-terror struggle.

"The unilateral and militarist approach can erode the movement" against terrorism which was launched after the attacks of September 11 in the United States, Kharrazi told the gathering, which brought together officials from 71 countries.

His remarks came in the wake of similar criticism of Washington at a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the weekend in Spain, with EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten telling the British newspaper ** The Guardian *** that he feared U.S. policymakers were shifting into "unilateralist overdrive."

Elsewhere Kharrazi said that the OIC-EU forum would work to boost dialogue and coordination between the civilizations of the Western and Eastern nations.

Kharrazi said that the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States brought an international disgust and an incentive to mobilize the international community against terrorism and its root causes.

But, unfortunately, certain U.S. politicians are misusing the international solidarity with the American people by taking advantage of international resolve to fight terrorism for their foreign policy objectives. They embarked by accusing other nations of links with terrorists spreading wrong information to mislead the international community, IRNA quoted him as saying.

He said that the United States has opted for military solution which has caused negative reaction from the international community.

"Iran believes that military approach in dealing with terrorism will jeopardize international peace and security," Kharrazi said.

"The OIC and the EU have jointly put forward an agenda of Dialogue Among Civilizations to the United Nations General Assembly last November which was ratified unanimously by member states.

"It proves that the OIC and the EU abide by their commitment to hold dialogue," Kharrazi said.

He said that the Muslim world believe that the EU can play greater role in dealing with pressures of the Israelis to exploit the current atmosphere to crack down on Palestinians.

Kharrazi said that the EU is expected to undertake effective role to restore the minimum justice in the Middle East conflict and take practical steps in this respect.

"If we are courageous enough to administer justice, peace and freedom to all human being, Dialogue Among civilizations serves as strategy for the human community," the Iranian foreign minister declared.

The Istanbul meeting's call for closer ties and dialogue between Western and Muslim states after the September 11 attacks was shared strongly by more than 40 foreign ministers attending the talks at Istanbul's historical Ciragan Palace.

In his opening statement, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said both organizations had a "joint responsibility" to strive for harmony between different cultures which came under threat with the terrorist attacks in the United States.

"The OIC-EU forum could display a strong belief that cultures, in their diversity, complement and enhance each other. That we are all committed to the harmony of civilizations and to its attainability," he added.

Greek Minister Georges Papandreou noted the general fear that the terrorist attacks in the United States would trigger a clash of civilizations.

"We are here not to let this prophecy become a reality," he said.

The Istanbul meeting was called and hosted by Turkey -- an OIC member, an EU candidate and the only predominantly Muslim nation in NATO -- in a bid to defuse tension between the West and Islam.

Opinions polarized in the aftermath of September 11, touching off hostility and aggression against Muslim interests in the West, while U.S.-led military strikes in Afghanistan triggered massive anti-U.S. demonstrations in Muslim nations.

"We need not make an enemy of each other. We must gather all our energies to build a coalition for peace," Kharrazi said.

A similar message was given by Foreign Minister Josep Pique of Spain, current EU president, who underlined that tolerance was the cornerstone of dialogue.

OIC Secretary General Abdelouahed Belkeziz denounced the tendency in the West to identify terrorism with Islam.

The Istanbul meeting takes place amid growing fears that Baghdad might be the next target of the global anti-terror war after U.S. President George W. Bush grouped Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil", accusing them of seeking to possess weapons of mass destruction.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri denounced what he called state terrorism, referring to the United States and frequent bombings of its territory by U.S. and British planes.

Another issue which came up in the EU-OIC meeting was the spiraling violence in the Middle East and the serious showdown between Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The EU's Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana, said the coexistence of an Israeli and a Palestinian state was the only way to solve the bloody conflict in the Middle East.

"A two states solution is the only solution that can bring peace. It's the only possible way to move ahead and we are determined to work in this direction," Solana told the gathering.

Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister met with his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine on the sidelines of the conference, and the two sides reviewed international and regional issues.

Listing Iran's different activities to help establish a stable government in Afghanistan, Kharrazi said Iran saw its interests in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

Vedrine, for his part, said the EU believed in more dialogue with the Islamic Republic, adding that the union considered role of Iran in Afghan reconstruction important.