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Saturday, April 8, 2017
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MANILA – The European Union has expressed readiness to support the enforcement of a joint ceasefire agreement between the Philippine government and communist rebels once such pact is finalized.
This is as the bloc welcomed the interim ceasefire agreement that the government panel and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines reached on April 5 in the Netherlands, a breakthrough in peace negotiations that stalled just last February.
In a statement issued in Brussels, the EU attributed the initial step towards a permanent ceasefire to “the power of political processes to resolve conflict.”
“It is an encouraging step towards generating goodwill and trust in the peace negotiations, to encourage the forging of a more stable and comprehensive Joint Ceasefire Agreement and to provide an enabling environment for an early signing of a comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms,” the bloc said.
“If asked, the European Union stands ready to support the implementation of the agreement,” it said.
The EU continues to keenly watch over the progress of peace talks in the Philippines, including negotiations to settle the lingering conflict with Moro rebels in volatile southern Philippines.
This is even while it has been on the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s brash rhetoric for its criticism of his bloody war on drugs. (ABS-CBN News)
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