Egypt, Syria support Arroyo's bid for Philippines' observer status bid at OIC

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Gulf News

Manila: President Gloria Arroyo got the support of Egypt and Syria for the Philippines' bid to attain an observer status at the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), a senior official said.

"There is a big possibility for the OIC to give us an observer status because Egypt and Syria are two of the most influential countries in the Islamic world," press secretary Cerge Remonde said in a radio interview, during Arroyo's arrival from Syria on Wednesday.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad endorsed the Philippines' OIC bid during a meeting with Arroyo at the Al Ashaab Palace in Damascus last Monday, said Remonde.

In bilateral talks with Arroyo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, also promised to urge other OIC member-states to back the Philippines' effort to attain observer status at the OIC, he said.

Meanwhile, Syria invited Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to attend OIC's foreign ministerial meeting in Damascus from May 23 to 25, said Remonde, adding: "The support to be given by the OIC will go a long way in solving our problem with Filipino-Muslims in Mindanao [in the southern Philippines]."

He referred to the 10-year old peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which began in 1997.

At the same time, Egypt and Syria will also be part of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) which has been monitoring in Mindanao, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in 2001, said Remonde.

The IMT, a deterrent to clashes between government soldiers and Milf fighters, has been a major part of the ongoing peace process between the Philippine government and the MILF, said Remonde.

The IMT is currently composed of peace keepers from Malaysia, Brunei, Libya, Canada, and Japan. Malaysians make up 41 of the 60-man IMT.

Malaysia, an OIC member country, is also a broker of the peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF.

Stressing the importance of the two countries that Arroyo visited starting May 1, Remonde said that the OIC's headquarters is based in Egypt, adding that the OIC's Foreign Ministers' conference will be held in Syria in late May.

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