RIYADH: As part of its efforts to seek peace in southern Philippines, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently held talks with Philippine officials and other stakeholders.
“A report on the talks will be presented to the Peace Committee for Southern Philippines (PCSP) during the 43rd Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting due to take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from Oct. 18 to 19,” Arab News quoted an OIC official as saying.
Ambassador Sayed Kassem Elmasry, OIC special envoy for the peace process in southern Philippines, has just concluded a four-day visit to the country, the report said.
Accompanied by representatives from the OIC Department of Muslim Minorities and Communities, Elmasry held talks with the Philippine presidential adviser for the peace process, Jesus Dureza, and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, Dureza reportedly outlined the government’s plan to converge key elements of all previous international agreements into one enabling law to be passed to benefit all parties.
The Philippine presidential adviser reportedly noted that the Philippines is dedicated and fully committed to the peace process in southern Philippines. Dureza emphasized the importance of the continued role of the OIC as an important partner in the peace process, and commended the organization for its achievements such as the creation of the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum (BCF).
On the other hand, Elmasry noted the strong support for the peace process and praised the efforts of the Philippines to achieve a just and lasting peace in Mindanao, said the news portal.
The OIC delegation reportedly held separate talks with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to ascertain their views on the peace process.
It was reiterated that the BCF is the prime venue for both the MNLF and the MILF to close ranks, strengthen and consolidate their cooperation and unity, and maintain their peaceful struggle for the common cause, reported Arab News.
