To strengthen bilateral relations between our nations and join in the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Great Al Fateh Revolution, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo leaves today for Libya at the invitation of Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar Qaddafi. President Arroyo will join other state dignitaries who have been invited to attend the commemoration of Libya’s most historic transition.
The two-day visit is expected to sustain the bilaterally beneficial ties between the Philippines and Libya that spans 33 years, from the time Libya acted as a mediator in the forging of the Tripoli peace agreement between the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976. The Tripoli Agreement subsequently became the basis of the Final Peace Agreement between the GRP and the MNLF in 1996.
The visit will enable President Arroyo to reiterate the country’s request for Libya’s continued support for the Philippine peace process, as well as the country’s bid to gain observer status in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The Philippines has sought this status in order to attend the relevant meetings of the OIC and mobilize support from its members to act as a third party in brokering a broader and more sustained peace settlement for Mindanao. President Arroyo will reiterate the request put forward to the Libyan leader in their recent meeting during the Non-Alignment Movement Summit held in Egypt last July 16, 2009. Manila Bulletin
Asked if there is truth to rumors that Gaddafi, whose country is currently in turmoil following large scale protests aimed at dethroning him, was smitten by her, the flamboyant former First Lady said she does not know.
“I don’t know about that, but the fact alone . . . I think he respected me because he even said to me, ‘I admire your commitment and courage for peace,’” she said. From GMA News
