The Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) resumed negotiations for a final peace agreement on January 22 in Malaysia.
The two parties are hopeful of settling contentious issues that have previously blocked the forging of a final peace pact during the five-day session this time around.
The head of the Government’s Peace Panel, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, said that the time has come to conclude the formal exploratory talks and move on to a more substantial deal.
Meanwhile, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said in his opening statement that during the latest round of peace negotiations both sides will be able to settle all the outstanding issues that block the talks to conclude.
Last year, the Philippine government and MILF signed three annexes of the Framework Agreement on the creation of Bangsamoro area as part of a comprehensive peace pact aimed at ending for decades of armed conflicts.
The two sides are planning to hold the first election of officials who will lead the Bangsamoro area instead of the Mindanao Islamic autonomous region in southern Philippines by 2016.
MILF has conducted anti-government movements since the 1970s with the aim of forming an autonomous state on southern Mindanao Island.
The front’s assaults over the decades have claimed at least 120,000 lives and displacing more than 2 million people.-VNA
The two parties are hopeful of settling contentious issues that have previously blocked the forging of a final peace pact during the five-day session this time around.
The head of the Government’s Peace Panel, Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, said that the time has come to conclude the formal exploratory talks and move on to a more substantial deal.
Meanwhile, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said in his opening statement that during the latest round of peace negotiations both sides will be able to settle all the outstanding issues that block the talks to conclude.
Last year, the Philippine government and MILF signed three annexes of the Framework Agreement on the creation of Bangsamoro area as part of a comprehensive peace pact aimed at ending for decades of armed conflicts.
The two sides are planning to hold the first election of officials who will lead the Bangsamoro area instead of the Mindanao Islamic autonomous region in southern Philippines by 2016.
MILF has conducted anti-government movements since the 1970s with the aim of forming an autonomous state on southern Mindanao Island.
The front’s assaults over the decades have claimed at least 120,000 lives and displacing more than 2 million people.-VNA
