Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 17 / Trend , U.Sadikhova /
The reconciliation between the Philippine government and Muslim communities of the southern province of Mindanao and Manila's membership to the OIC as a permanent observer became the main topic of talks between Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the organization said in press release.
Macapagal-Arroyo is in Turkey on a two-day official visit.
Before leaving for Istanbul, the President of Philippine said that she intends to achieve recognition of observer status for Manila in the OIC, which enjoys the greatest influence in the Muslim world, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Despite Macapagal-Arroyo's negotiations in Istanbul with the secretary-general of the organization, the status of Philippine is still open.
Observer status will give Philippine an access to the OIC, which unites 57 Muslim countries, and which is the second largest organization in the world after the United Nations.
Manila's application was filed in 2004, but has not yet been approved. For the approval of status of Philippine, 57 countries must give their consent. However, the main problem for Manila is the reconciliation with the Muslim Moro population residing mainly in the province of Mindanao.
Ihsanoglu and Macapagal-Arroyo discussed the mediation of the OIC in the negotiations between the Philippine government and Muslim communities in Mindanao.
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is the only organization recognized by the OIC as the legitimate representative of Muslims in the south of the country.
The OIC remains one of the major mediators in the settlement of a decade armed conflict in the troubled southern region of the country. It plays a role in facilitating the peace talks, through Malaysia, between the Philippine government and the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front). An armed group of Muslims split from the MNLF after signing a peace agreement with the Government in 1996.
Peace talks between the Philippine government and Muslim communities in Mindanao began in August last year. Clashes broke out suddenly, which killed dozens of soldiers and local Muslims, demanding independence