Philippines govt and MILF conclude 41st round of negotiations

KUALA LUMPUR: The negotiating Panels of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) concluded their 41st round of negotiations here Sunday.

In a joint statement, they said the parties made substantial progress on the remaining annexes on power-sharing and normalization.

The statement was signed by GPH Panel Chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and MILF Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal in the presence of Malaysian Facilitator Tengku Datuk Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed.

"They have proceeded in exhaustive, honest discussions in order to identify the best formulations for an agreement that would respond to the aspirations of both parties," said the statement.

They said the remaining challenges and time constraints demanded that the Panels remain focused on completing the annexes following a break for Eid-Ul-Adha. 

The statement added that both sides had a full understanding of their responsibility as they strove towards a sustainable and inclusive solution for the benefit of all people in the Bangsamoro.

The parties also expressed their appreciation to Philippine President Benigno S.Aquino for his unwavering commitment to a just and lasting peace in Mindanao and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for his continued support in the facilitation of the GPH-MILF Peace Talks.

They also extended appreciation to the MILF Central Committee headed by Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim for their untiring commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Bangsamoro Question.

The parties also extended their gratitude to the members of the International Contact Group (ICG), namely Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Conciliation Resources, Muhammadiyah and the Community of Sant'Egidio.

Kuala Lumpur helped broker the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro inked between Manila and the MILF on Oct 15 last year, to end a four-decade conflict in the Southern Philippines. - Bernama