Riyadh to support Manila’s OIC observer status bid

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, has promised to support the Philippine’ bid for a permanent observer status in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), according to President Arroyo’s special envoy.

"Aside from their (Saudi government’s) support, Prince Abdullah will try his best to get the support of other OIC member countries in our bid for permanent observer status in the OIC," said Special Envoy to the Gulf Cooperation Council Amable R. Aguiluz V.

The Saudi Crown Prince made the gesture during the courtesy call of Ambassador Aguiluz with Philippine Embassy officials recently at the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he welcomed the Philippines’ position on the on-going peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"We are pleased to know that stalled peace talks between Philippines and MILF is set to resume soon with OIC member Malaysia as mediator," the Saudi Crown Prince said, expressing gratification over the developments in Mindanao, particularly the lifting of the warrants of arrest against top leaders of MILF by the Arroyo administration,

Last May, the OIC invited Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Blas Ople to the 30th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the OIC in Tehran, Iran. It was the first time a DFA head was invited to the said conference.

The mission of Ambassador Aguiluz is the third leg of a series of the special envoy’s initiatives that aims to build cooperation between the Philippines and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its members composed of Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

Last week, Aguiluz succeeded in securing approval from the Kingdom of Bahrain a development aid of $1 million to ARMM. He also pushed for the ratification of the RP-Bahrain Agreement on Double Taxation so that the estimated 38,000 Filipino workers there would not be taxed twice.