Philippine government committed to final agreement with MILF

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Philippine government is committed to having an agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed within the year that may spell peace in the southern Philippines. Philippine ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya said that both parties would need to undertake continuing "serious and often contentious" negotiations as well as display sincerity and commitment. This commitment brought about the signing of decision points on principles by the two sides on April 24, giving significant impetus for a successful conclusion of the negotiations. In a statement issued by the Philippine embassy here on Wednesday, Malaya said: "The decision points are a preliminary listing of 12 common points which the two parties have identified coming from their respective positions. "It can be read as a memorandum for the two parties of the general direction of the substantive negotiations, described in broad strokes, generous enough to allow them the necessary space to navigate the details and context in a comprehensive final agreement." The statement noted that the decision points, among others, covered the parties' consensus on matters pertaining to governance, power and wealth sharing, and the establishment of monitoring and evaluation systems. Malaya said both sides were hopefully in the closing months of negotiations, which had been ongoing every month in Kuala Lumpur. "We're grateful to the Malaysian government for their facilitation of the talks and for being our partner in the quest for a durable and lasting peace and economic development in the affected region in Mindanao," he said. The peace talks brokered by Malaysia aims to end a four decade-long Muslim insurgency in southern Philippines. -- BERNAMA