The Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have held two-day talks in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , to seek a peace deal to end decades of conflict.
At the talks that ended on Jan. 28, Malaysian facilitator Othman Razak said negotiators from the Philippine government and MILF reviewed each other's draft position papers and would meet again on Feb. 18 and 19 to identify the next steps towards achieving a comprehensive agreement and a negotiated solution.
International monitors are expected to return to Mindanao, in the southern Philippines , in the coming weeks.
The Philippines ' chief negotiator, Rafael Seguis, said no agreement has yet been reached and that the two sides had only exchanged drafts at the talks.
Discussions that concern legislation and other policy actions will be submitted to Congress, he added.
The chief negotiator previously said that Manila is aiming to secure a peace deal with the MILF before President Gloria Arroyo steps down this year.
In 2001, the administration of President Arroyo opened the peace talks in an effort to end the bloody secessionist war on the southern island of Mindanao that has left more than 150,000 people dead. However, the talks were broken off when MILF launched deadly attacks across Mindanao in August of 2008./.
At the talks that ended on Jan. 28, Malaysian facilitator Othman Razak said negotiators from the Philippine government and MILF reviewed each other's draft position papers and would meet again on Feb. 18 and 19 to identify the next steps towards achieving a comprehensive agreement and a negotiated solution.
International monitors are expected to return to Mindanao, in the southern Philippines , in the coming weeks.
The Philippines ' chief negotiator, Rafael Seguis, said no agreement has yet been reached and that the two sides had only exchanged drafts at the talks.
Discussions that concern legislation and other policy actions will be submitted to Congress, he added.
The chief negotiator previously said that Manila is aiming to secure a peace deal with the MILF before President Gloria Arroyo steps down this year.
In 2001, the administration of President Arroyo opened the peace talks in an effort to end the bloody secessionist war on the southern island of Mindanao that has left more than 150,000 people dead. However, the talks were broken off when MILF launched deadly attacks across Mindanao in August of 2008./.
