Signing of annex draws int’l praise, aid pledges

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, seated left, chairperson of Philippine Government Peace Panel, and Mohagher Iqbal, seated right, chief negotiator for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), sign documents with Malaysian facilitator Abdul Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, sitting center, as witness, during the 43rd GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. AP PHOTO/LAI SENG SIN

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Sunday won global praise as well as pledges of support to help in achieving lasting peace and economic development in Mindanao following the signing between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the last agreement needed before the conclusion of a final peace accord.

Messages of congratulations poured in from nations and international organizations aiding the peace talks a day after the government and the MILF signed the normalization annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, European Union and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon sent separate statements commending the negotiating panels of the two sides as well as President Aquino and MILF chair Murad Ebrahim for Saturday’s achievement.

Ban, in a statement on the UN website, commended Aquino and Murad for their “vision and leadership,” and the peace panels for their “perseverance, commitment and courage” in the peace process.

Ban also expressed his “sincere gratitude” to Malaysia for its role as negotiator.

“The UN secretary expresses the readiness of the United Nations to accompany the final phase of the peace process and the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement,” the statement said.

Promise of peace

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the agreement “offers the promise of peace, security and economic prosperity now and for future generations in Mindanao,” and commended the two camps, Malaysia and the International Contact Group, for their efforts to resolve the decades-long conflict in the region.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague described the latest development in the peace talks as a “positive news” that was “all the more welcome” after the devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas last November.

“The courage and leadership shown by the parties gives great hope that [the difficult challenges] can be overcome, and we are ready to provide whatever further support we can to help the [Bangsamoro people] and the Philippines recover from this devastating conflict,” said Hague, whose government is a member of the International Contact Group that supports the peace talks.

Fellow International Contact Group member Japan said it was a “pleasure” to have contributed to the peace process and that it “strongly hoped” the parties would implement the transition process, including the enactment of the Bangsamoro basic law and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority toward the realization of the Bangsamoro autonomous region.

“As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced during his visit to the Philippines in July last year, Japan will strengthen its support to the Mindanao peace process through the assistance for community development, capacity-building in transition period, sustainable economic development in Mindanao and other methods,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

‘Historic moment’

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, who is also high representative for security policy and vice president of the commission, said the signing of the agreement was a “truly historic moment” and demonstrated a commitment to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao “through a unique and holistic concept of normalization that encompasses the gradual decommissioning of arms, overall demilitarization and its economic and social development.”

“The EU, as a member of the International Monitoring Team and major development partner in Mindanao since 1990, will continue to fully support the implementation of the process,” Ashton said.—Christine O. Avendaño

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