Cambodia expresses goal to gain observer status at Muslim bloc OIC

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Cambodia has expressed its intention to join the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as an observer state, Prime Minister Hun Sen revealed on Monday.

Addressing a joint news conference with Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in Maldives, Sen said he hopes that the South Asian island nation will “support Cambodia to become an observer member of the OIC in the near future.”

Sen, who marked 38 years in power in Cambodia on Sunday, is on a two-day official trip to Maldives.

The premier also announced support to the Maldives to become a signatory to the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) as well as an observer of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The two nations also signed five documents including visa waivers to holders of diplomatic, official and casual passports besides agreements on economy, health, and tourism.

The OIC is the world’s second-largest multi-national bloc with 57 Muslim-majority nations as its permanent members.

Currently, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Thailand, Russia, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are observer states of the OIC.

Cambodia has Muslim citizens between 2% and 5% of its over 16 million population. The Muslims are predominantly ethnic Cham, although not all Cham people follow Islam as their religion.