|
Sunday, February 18, 2007
MILF meets foreign envoys
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) met with diplomats of the three leading economic powers in the world -- the European Union (EU), US, and Japan.
The meeting happened in three separate occasions from February 14 to 15 in undisclosed venues.
Post your Valentine's Day greetings
In its official website, luwaran.com, the MILF said that the first meeting was with the delegates from the EU last February 14.
The EU delegates was composed of Alistar MacDonald, Ambassador of the European Community to the Philippines; Eneko Landaburu, Director General for External Relations (Relex); Seamus Gilespe, Head Unit, Southeast Asia, (RELEX); Danielle Dal Molin, Desk Officer (Relex); Gabriel Muniera Vinals, Head of Political, Economic, Trade and Cultural Section, European Community Delegation to the Philippines; and Emily Mercado, a Filipina, Project Officer, European Delegation to the Philippines.
On February 15, a group of US political and military officials talked with the MILF officials on various economic, political, and military issues.
The American delegates was headed by Paul Jones, Deputy Head of Mission of the US Embassy in Manila; accompanied by Jon D. Lindborg, Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development; Colonel David S. Maxwell, Commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines; Colonel Bruce A. West, Defense and Air Attaché, US Embassy; Scott Douglas Bellard, Counselor for Political Affairs, US Embassy; and Paul Kennedy, Regional Security Officer.
In the afternoon of February 15, MILF officials composed of Ghazali Jaafar, MILF deputy chairman for political affairs, Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief information officer and concurrently its chief peace negotiator, lawyer Lanang Ali, a member of the MILF peace panel, and two other members of the MILF Central Committee played host to two Japanese diplomats.
The Japanese officials were identified as Yoshihisa Ishikawa, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Manila; and Nagaishi Masafumi, Senior Adviser for Reconstruction and Development of Mindanao and currently member of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) based in Cotabato City.
Lawyer Michael Mastura joined the MILF delegation in that meeting with the Japanese officials.
EU officials reportedly expressed their interests to take part of the peace process in Mindanao between the MILF and the Philippine government.
The meeting with the Americans was also centered on the peace process where they assured that the US is a partner in the search for genuine peace in Mindanao.
The US briefed the MILF officials about their current socio-economic projects in Mindanao especially in the conflict-affected areas, their medical missions, and the various aspects of their activities related to the Balikatan exercises.
They also discussed the menace of terrorism in the world including Mindanao where a number of suspected Jemaah Islamiyah operatives are believed hiding.
The US officials emphasized the need for dialogues to settle differences.
Meanwhile, the MILF-Japan meeting took sometime dealing more on specifics rather than on principles.
Japan is reported to have 10 ongoing projects in Maguindanao and Sharif Kabungsuan provinces and it intends to add more projects in 2007. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (February 18, 2007 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Police on alert over report to bomb buses