Serbia requests OIC observer status

Friday 1.07.2011

Source: Tanjug

ASTANA -- The states that had requested observer status in the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) include Serbia, it has been announced.

Other countries that requested this status are South Africa, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Nepal, Belarus and Brazil.

This is according to OIC Secretary-General Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu who spoke on Thursday.

Addressing the participants of the 38th session of OIC (former Organization of the Islamic Conference) Council of Foreign Ministers, held in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan, Ihsanoglu said that the countries that had asked for OIC full membership were Congo, the Central African Republic, Mauritius and Kenya, according to a report by the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.

The name of the organization was changed from the Organization of the Islamic Conference to the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation on the first day of the June 28-30 session.

The OIC was founded upon a decision of the summit of heads of state of Muslim countries which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on September 25, 1969. Its main goal is to ensure Islamic solidarity in the social, economic and political areas. The organization says it is involved in the struggle against colonialism, neocolonialism and racism and gives support to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The organization maintains its headquarters in Saudi Arabia, and the countries that have observer status include Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Russia and the Moro National Liberation Front in the Philippines.

Source: B92.
Link: http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=07&dd=01&nav_id=75211.