PRESS RELEASE
Department of Foreign Affairs
2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                *             Tel. No. 834-4000               *              www.dfa.gov.ph
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No. 286-03;  09 June 2003
OIC COMMITTEE ON RP PEACE AGREEMENT WELCOMES OPLE’S PERSONAL DIPLOMACY

For the first time since the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) began assisting in the Southern Philippines peace process, a Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs has addressed the Committee tasked with monitoring the 1996 GRP-MNLF Peace Agreement.

“I took the opportunity presented by the unprecedented invitation for me to attend the OIC Ministerial Meeting to appear before the OIC’s Ministerial-level Committee of the Eight (C8) which is tasked with monitoring our peace agreement with the MNLF,” the Secretary said.

“I outlined in clear but succinct detail our full implementation of Phase I of the 1996 Agreement, the Political and Military Phase, as well as measures we have taken to fully implement Phase II, the Economic Phase. I believe that the C8 was generally convinced that we have been sincere and successful in implementing the 1996 Agreement.

“I also believe that we were able to convince the C8 that with the full implementation of the 1996 Peace Agreement, it may be time for the C8 to submit a ‘final report’ to the OIC Summit this October.  This conclusion is contained in paragraph 8 of the C8’s report to the 30th OIC Ministerial Meeting,” the Secretary said. 

The Secretary added that it is very possible that a C8 Ministerial meeting will be held in Manila sometime in late July or early August to finalize their report for the OIC Summit this October.

“I also expressed our deep appreciation to the members of the C8 and told them that the GRP-MNLF final peace agreement is a brilliant model of ‘peace through dialogue’ which has been attained with the help of the international community, especially the OIC and its Committee of Eight chaired by Indonesia,” the Secretary said. END.