P-Noy thanks Indonesia for backing Mindanao peace process

BALI – President Aquino thanked yesterday Indonesia for continuing to support the peace process in Mindanao and other security-boosting initiatives.

Speaking before the 7th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF), Aquino also mentioned the efforts of outgoing Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to strengthen relations with the Philippines.

“Indonesia has indeed been a true friend to my people,” he said. “They have worked with us to address shared challenges, such as securing our maritime borders, combating terrorism and raising awareness as regards climate change.”

Indonesia has supported the Mindanao peace process when it chaired key committees in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in holding consultation meetings between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and in taking part in the International Monitoring Team in previous negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), he said.

Aquino said Yudhoyono, who steps down from office on Oct. 20, is “a big brother and an able partner to many of us.”

“With his assuring leadership, our two nations were able to resolve in an amicable manner the issue concerning our maritime boundaries in the Mindanao Sea and the Celebes Sea, thus moving our nations forward with an even deeper trust in each other,” he said.

Aquino was referring to the agreement last May 23 to draw a boundary between the   overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines and Indonesia.

“Yudhoyono’s commitment to the rule of law has been crucial as we advance the peaceful and just resolution of disputes in the South China Sea,” he said.

Aquino said even before the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1949, the Philippines and Indonesia supported each other’s struggle for independence in the 1920s and 1930s.

“Our two peoples have always found kindred spirits in each other, perhaps owing to the fact that we share a common history and heritage as maritime peoples of Southeast Asia,” he said.