Japan welcomes Framework Agreement concerning the Mindanao Peace Process

Contributed Article

October 8, 2012
10:57 pm

October 7, 2012

D-027

The Framework Agreement concerning the Mindanao Peace Process

Japan heartily welcomes that the Framework Agreement concerning the Mindanao Peace Process has reached after many years of negotiation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Framework Agreement is an important first step toward the realization of the final agreement concerning the Mindanao Peace Process and Japan sincerely pays its respects to both the Government of the Philippines and the MILF for their persistent negotiation efforts and to the Government of Malaysia for its contribution as the facilitator.

In the meantime, because the Framework Agreement leaves the resolution of several important issues to future negotiations, it is expected that more difficulties must be overcome to reach the final agreement. Japan strongly hopes that both parties will steadily implement the contents of the Framework Agreement and continue their persistent negotiation efforts towards the early realization of the final agreement.

Japan would like to continue to lend its full support to the Mindanao Peace Process through the dispatch of experts on development to the International Monitoring Team (IMT), the intensive implementation of economic cooperation projects in former conflict-affected areas (Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD)), the participation in the International Contact Group (ICG) on the peace talks, and other methods.

(Reference)

Based on the recognition that peace in Mindanao will serve regional peace and stability, Japan is contributing to the reconstruction and development of the Mindanao region through: (i) the dispatch of development experts to the Social and Economic Development Section of the IMT; (ii) the concentrated implementation of economic cooperation projects such as extending Grassroots Grant Assistance for Human Security in former conflict-affected areas (J-BIRD); and (iii) the participation in the International Contact Group (ICG) that is providing advice by attending the peace talks as an observer, among others. On August 4, 2011, President Benigno Aquino III and MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ibrahim visited Japan, and had informal discussions on the outskirts of Tokyo, aiming for resolving the various issues on Mindanao peace process.

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