RP, Norway discuss peace talk venue

Wed, 18 Apr 2001 | Source: AFP

MANILA (AFP): The Philippine government is negotiating to establish a Norwegian venue for peace talks with communist guerrillas, Vice President Teofisto Guingona said on Tuesday.

Guingona, who is also foreign minister, said he met with the Norwegian envoy to Manila, Paul Moe, to discuss the April 27 negotiations, aimed at ending the New People's Army (NPA) 32-year-long Maoist insurgency

"He (the ambassador) wanted to get some more details, we gave them and he conveyed to me that he was going to relay the information to secure from his government the final decision," Guingona said during a media conference. "So today, there is still no final determination."

The NPA is the 11,000-strong guerrilla unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines. The group's political wing the, National Democratic Front, has already sent an advance team of negotiators here, led by Luis Jalandoni, to lay the groundwork for the talks.

View JSON | Print