MANILA, April 20 (PNA) — Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani of Saudi Arabia, paid a courtesy call on President Benigno S. Aquino III in Malacañang on Monday.
Madani was accompanied by OIC Special Envoy for Peace in Southern Philippines Sayed Kassim El Masry, and OIC Department of Muslim Communities and Minorities head, Dr. Hassan Ahmad Abdein, during the courtesy call, held at 1 p.m. at the Palace’s Music Room.
Present on the Philippine side were Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Yasmin Busran-Lao, National Security Adviser Secretary Cesar Garcia Jr., and Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis.
The OIC chief arrived in the country on April 16 for a five-day visit that aims to show the OIC’s support for the peace process in Mindanao.
Madani had a meeting with Deles, as well as with officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), during which he expressed hope that the peace process would continue.
“We are optimistic, we are supportive,” Madani said after presiding over the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF) in Davao City.
The BCF is an OIC-sponsored group formed to harmonize and settle the differences between the MILF and MNLF.
Prior to his arrival in the Philippines, Madani had a three-day visit to Malaysia, which facilitated the peace dialogues between the government and the MILF.
Madani is the first OIC secretary general to visit Mindanao. The OIC, which has 57 Islamic countries as members, is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. (PNA)