Norwegian Government Promises to Continue as Facilitator and
Supporter of GRP-NDFP Peace Negotiations
3 December 2001
Newly elected prime minister Kyell Magne Bondevik has
promised that the Royal Government of Norway will continue to
act as facilitator and supporter of the peace negotiations of
the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the
National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
He made the promise when he met speaker Jose de Venecia of
the Philippine House of Representatives and Prof. Jose Maria
Sison, founding chairman of the Communist Party of the
Philippines, last Saturday, 1 December 2001 at the Government
House in Oslo, Norway.
Speaker de Venecia was accompanied by secretary Eduardo
Ermita and undersecretary Silvestre Afable of the Office of the
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and GRP negotiating
panel chairman Silvestre Bello III.
Prof. Sison was accompanied by NDFP negotiating panel
chairperson Luis G. Jalandoni and panel member Fidel V.
Agcaoili. Also present as legal consultant was Atty Marie F.
Yuvienco of the Public Interest Law Center.
Acting as the special emissary of Philippine president Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, speaker de Venecia delivered to prime minister
Bondevik her letter requesting the Norwegian government to
continue facilitating and supporting the peace negotiations.
The prime minister responded positively to the request of
Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and asked Prof. Sison what were the
prospects of the peace negotiations.
Prof. Sison first expressed the appreciation of the NDFP to
the Norwegian government for its role as facilitator and then
assured him that the prospects of the peace negotiations were
bright because of the resolve of the negotiating parties to
accelerate their negotiations.
GRP negotiating panel chairman Silvestre Bello III and NDFP
negotiating panel chairperson Luis Jalandoni informed the
Norwegian prime minister that they had drafted on Friday, 30
November in the Netherlands a document of understanding to
accelerate the peace negotiations, subject to the approval of
their respective panels and principals. #
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