Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 12418

Uruguay, Russia reach KO phase


MOSCOW — Uruguay and host nation Russia progressed to the World Cup knockout rounds on Wednesday as Cristiano Ronaldo took an early lead in the race for the Golden Boot.
A single goal from Luis Suarez was enough to give Uruguay victory against Saudi Arabia, leaving them on six points along with Russia and condemning Egypt and the Saudis to an early exit from the tournament.
In the earlier game, in Group B, Ronaldo netted his fourth goal of the tournament in Portugal’s 1-0 win against Morocco, ending the north Africans’ chances of progress.
The five-time world player of the year scored with an early header to add to his hat-trick for the European champions against Spain in their opener.
In the other Group B match, Spain needed a fortunate Diego Costa goal to beat a determined Iran side who had a second-half effort from Saeid Ezatolahi disallowed for offside in Kazan.
Portugal and Spain both have four points and will be competing for top spot when they complete their first-round games against Iran and Morocco respectively on Monday.
IRANIAN PRIDE
The top two teams in the group will face Russia and Uruguay in the last 16.
Iran have still never beaten a European side at a World Cup, but coach Carlos Queiroz said they could take pride from their performance against Spain.
“We left the pitch 1-0 down, but we won respect. I’m sure the fans are proud of our team,” said Queiroz.
“Our players can go home and sit with their family and friends and be proud of themselves.”
Having won their first match, Iran could still secure an unlikely qualification if they beat Queiroz’s native Portugal.
LETHAL SUAREZ
Uruguay came up against an improved Saudi side in Rostov-on-Don, but master poacher Suarez took advantage of a goalkeeping error by Mohammed Al-Owais to put his side ahead midway through the first half and the Saudis could not respond.
It was a fitting way for the Barcelona forward to mark his 100th international appearance and he will be hoping to go further in the World Cup after exiting the last two in disgrace after being sent off for a goal-line handball against Ghana in 2010, and infamously biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in 2014.
Morocco, like so many sides before them, were undone by a piece of Ronaldo brilliance. He now has 85 international goals — a record for a European player.
“I’m happy I scored the goal but the most important thing is that we won the game. We have to think match by match in order to progress,” Ronaldo said.
Disappointed Morocco coach Herve Renard said his side had showed they had a bright future despite being out of the running to qualify for the last 16.
“We qualified for a World Cup after 20 years and we’ve showed that we can play football,” the Frenchman said. “We do play football.”
Meanwhile, host nation Russia were celebrating the 3-1 win over Egypt on Tuesday which paved the way for them to move into the next round despite pre-tournament expectations that they would struggle to get out of their group.
After a goalless first half, Egypt captain Ahmed Fathi scored an own goal before Denis Cheryshev struck and Artem Dzyuba added a third. Mohamed Salah scored a consolation penalty late on but it was not enough for the Pharaohs.
“Can you believe it?” Moscow’s Sport Express newspaper asked.
“We waited a very long time for this,” said Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov. — AFP

Pressure on Messi against Croatia after rival Ronaldo scores again

VOLGOGRAD, RUSSIA — Lionel Messi is under increased pressure to redeem himself when Argentina face Croatia in Thursday’s pivotal match after eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo scored his fourth goal of the World Cup to send Morocco packing.
France will be looking for a second World Cup Group C win against Peru Thursday while Australia need to bounce back from their heart-breaking defeat to Les Bleus against Denmark.
Messi’s teammates have rallied around their superstar captain after his spot-kick was saved in the 1-1 draw against minnows Iceland on Saturday.
Messi is bearing the weight of expectations as Argentina seek a first World Cup trophy since 1986, desperate to crown his glittering career with a major international tournament success.
However, so far in Russia, Messi has been overshadowed by Ronaldo, who took his tournament goal tally to four on Tuesday with the winner in Portugal’s 1-0 defeat of Morocco, which condemned the Africans to an early exit.
A defeat against the Luka Modric-led Croatians in Nizhny Novgorod could see Argentina, unthinkably, flirting with a first group stage exit since 2002.
“We are all with him, he knows that he can count on the support of all of us more than ever,” said Argentina striker Paulo Dybala of Messi.
“We are here to help him every moment, and of course we will be at his side,” Dybala added.
CROATIA UNDER A CLOUD
Croatia secured three points in their 2-0 win against Nigeria in their opening game but enter the match under a cloud.
AC Milan striker Nikola Kalinic was sent home from Russia for reportedly refusing to come on as a substitute, though coach Zlatko Dalic claimed the AC Milan man had a back injury.
Fancied France could only edge past Australia 2-1 courtesy of an Antoine Griezmann penalty and an own goal in their Group C opener but have vowed to ramp up the intensity against Peru in Yekaterinburg.
“We took stock of what was done well or not so well and all agree that we will have to increase our physical intensity and improve our attitude in general,” said France vice-captain and central defender Raphael Varane.
“Other teams (among the favorites) did not win or even lost. We won, but we know that there are things to improve on. We know what direction we need to go in.”
The defeat to France mean the Socceroos are targeting a win against Denmark in Samara on Thursday to have a realistic chance of qualifying from the group stages.
Captain Mile Jedinak, who scored from the penalty spot against France, says improving on a disciplined performance and not obsessing over great Dane Christian Eriksen will be key against Denmark, who squeezed past Peru 1-0 in their opening match.
“We know (Eriksen) is a fantastic player and obviously he’s got a huge role to play for them,” said Jedinak.
“But we’re not trying to focus on that. We’ll definitely focus on them as whole and as a collective.”
Wednesday’s other matches saw Spain edge past Iran 1-0 thanks to Diego Costa’s fortunate third goal in two matches which put them level at the top Group B with Portugal.
Iran, who had a precious second-half equalizer ruled out for offside by VAR, lie just a point behind the Iberian pair and can still guarantee qualification for the knockout stages for the first time by beating Portugal on Monday.
Uruguay knocked out Saudi Arabia Wednesday with a 1-0 win which confirmed the South Americans and hosts Russia as qualifiers from Group A with a game to spare.
The result means an early exit for Mohammed Salah’s Egypt who will be heading to Volgograd airport along with the Saudis for a plane home after their clash in the historic city formerly known as Stalingrad on Monday. — AFP

Neymar fitness cloud lingers as pressure mounts on Brazil

SAINT PETERSBURG — A battered and bruised Neymar will aim to get Brazil’s World Cup campaign back on track here Friday as the pre-tournament favorites seek to re-assert their title credentials with victory over Costa Rica.
Neymar was given a rough ride in Brazil’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Sunday, fouled 10 times during the match, the most for any player in a single World Cup game for 20 years.
The world’s most expensive player then set alarm bells ringing when he hobbled out of training on Tuesday in full view of the cameras.
However, he returned to the training pitch 48 hours ahead of the clash in Saint Petersburg, raising hopes he will feature.
Even before his latest setback, there were doubts over Neymar’s fitness heading into the World Cup after a three-month layoff.
The Switzerland clash was his first competitive game for nearly four months after a broken bone in his right foot ended his club season with Paris Saint-Germain in February.
To the frustration of many in the French capital, Neymar returned home for much of his recovery process with the intention of being fully fit for the World Cup.
NEYMAR STILL THE KEY
However, questions remain whether he is seriously lacking match practice.
Brazil looked to their talisman time and again in the final stages in Rostov-on-Don, but he failed to find the final pass or finish to unlock a well-organized Switzerland defence.
Instead, it was Philippe Coutinho who got Brazil’s campaign off to a flying start with a wonderful long range strike to open the scoring.
In contrast to Neymar, Coutinho ended the season in sensational form for Barcelona after sealing his dream move from Liverpool.
Should Neymar not be fit, Coutinho could be moved into his role on the left of a front three with Tite bolstering his midfield.
However, Coutinho insists Neymar remains the key figure in Brazil’s pursuit of World Cup glory.
“Neymar is one of the best players in the world. Of course having him in our side is a big plus for us,” said Coutinho.
“He is so important. He is always creating the play, creating space.”
Brazil were not just unhappy with the treatment meted out to Neymar, but also Switzerland’s equalizer when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system failed to rule out Steven Zuber’s equalizer for a slight push on Miranda. The Brazilian federation even took their complaints to FIFA.
Needing a break and to relieve the pressure with a win, Brazil could hardly have picked better opposition in Los Ticos, who have only beaten Brazil once in 10 meetings way back in 1960.
Costa Rica shocked England, Italy and Uruguay to reach the quarterfinals four years ago, but are even more in need of the points after losing 1-0 to Serbia in their opening game.
They also lost heavily to Belgium and England in warm-up friendlies, but captain Bryan Ruiz believes they can follow Switzerland’s example to cause another massive upset.
“Switzerland pressed them in midfield and that’s what you need to do because everybody knows that Brazil are best from midfield going forward,” said the Sporting Lisbon attacker.
“We need to win the ball back quickly and counterattack quickly.” — AFP

Meralco looks to bolster top 2 push against TNT

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
IN good position to claim one of the top two spots in the elimination round of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup, the Meralco Bolts look to fortify their position some more with a victory today against the TNT KaTropa in their 7 p.m. main game encounter at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Second-running to date with a 7-2 record, the Bolts shoot for their eighth win in the midseason PBA tournament that could well secure for them a top-two finish and earn the twice-to-beat advantage that goes with it in the quarterfinals.
Meralco is currently riding a four-game winning streak with its last victory coming at the expense of erstwhile streaking Alaska Aces, 89-74, on June 17.
The Bolts cranked up their defense in said game, limiting the Aces to just 33% shooting from the floor that considerably affected their ability to keep in step with the Bolts.
Meralco also had it balanced on offense, with six players scoring in double-digits led by the 18 of Chris Newsome.
Import Arinze Onuaku had 14 points to go along with 23 rebounds.
Coach Norman Black viewed their victory as a huge one in their goal of getting the playoff incentive and they are hoping to build on it as they take on the KaTropa.
“This was a critical game for us if we wanted to try to get that twice-to-beat advantage. Now that we were able to beat Alaska at least we can now start to focus on that. Once again it was a good team effort on our part,” Mr. Black said postgame.
While they are already assured of advancing to the next round of competition, the KaTropa (6-3) are still angling for a victory in today’s game, more so since they have lost their last two matches against the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok and San Miguel Beermen in that order.
In its 99-94 loss to San Miguel on June 17, TNT just could not overcome the Beermen’s consistency throughout the contest and fell to the defeat.
Import Joshua Smith led TNT with 26 points with Roger Pogoy and Don Trollano adding 13 points each.
But despite the loss, TNT coach Nash Racela said the rough patch they are having should only make the team better heading into the playoffs.
“Our main concern right now is how to get better as a team. What is important is that we get to the level where we want to be come playoff time,” said Mr. Racela.
Meanwhile, playing in the 4:30 p.m. curtain-raiser are the GlobalPort Batang Pier (4-5) and Columbian Dyip (4-6) in an all-important game that could determine their fate in the tournament.

Collegiate Basketball Awards: Red Lions’ Bolick named Player of the Year

THE NCAA championship is the only trophy that matters to San Beda’s Robert Bolick.
Nonetheless, Bolick finally got his due recognition for his leading role in the Red Lions’ title run when he was Player of the Year in the 2018 Chooks-to-Go Collegiate Basketball Awards yesterday (Thursday) at The Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros.
The 6-foot-1 guard was the undisputed leader of a San Beda side that won its league-leading 21st title in NCAA Season 93. However, Bolick was left out of any individual hardware after being disqualified for the Mythical Team due to a controversial ejection in an elimination round game and after being edged out by teammate Donald Tankoua for Finals MVP.
Bolick personally received the award last night during the awards ceremony sponsored by Chooks-to-Go and supported by The Bayleaf Intramuros and Cherrylume.
While the 21-year-old is never one to look for personal glory, the fact remains that he was the catalyst for the Mendiola-based squad in two close contests in the Finals against Lyceum and Season MVP CJ Perez.
Bolick came through for his team when it mattered most, dropping seven of his 24 points in the last two minutes of Game 1 and then scoring seven of his 22 markers with under five minutes remaining in Game 2.
The pride of Ormoc, Leyte is the first Red Lion and first NCAA standout to be hailed as Player of the Year. He follows La Salle’s Jeron Teng and Ben Mbala, Ateneo’s Kiefer Ravena, and FEU’s Mac Belo as winners of the award.
Joining Bolick in this year’s Mythical Team were Green Archer Mbala, Pirate Perez, and Blue Eagles Matt Nieto and Thirdy Ravena.
Meanwhile, San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez and Ateneo mentor Tab Baldwin were also feted as Coaches of the Year last Thursday night.
Fernandez guided the Red Lions to their 10th title in the last 12 years after emphatic wins in the NCAA Finals against Lyceum, a team which had swept the eliminations.
The Finals of the UAAP was also a showcase for the coaching prowess of Baldwin who got the most out of all the Blue Eagles to thwart archrival La Salle for their first championship since 2012.
Special awards were also given to women’s basketball legend Afril Bernardino of National U, UE scoring machine Alvin Pasaol, and the Lyceum Pirates, who completed their transformation from league cellar-dweller to legitimate contender.

UFC Fight Night 132: Weighty headlining fights featured as UFC makes Southeast Asian return

THE Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) makes its Southeast Asian return this weekend with “UFC Fight Night 132” at the Singapore Indoor Stadium which one local combat sports writer and observer touts as featuring “weighty” fights to engage the interest of fans in this side of the world.
Happening on Saturday, June 23, UFC Fight Night 132 will have former welterweight title contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (#11) of the United States and Leon “Rocky” Edwards of Jamaica in the main event and light heavyweights Ovince Saint Preux (#7) of the US and Tyson Pedro (#13) of Australia in the co-main event.
Also on tap are two Filipino fighters – Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy and Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa — who will see action in the preliminary fights.
Mr. Dy takes on Shane “Sugar” Young of New Zealand in a featherweight clash while Mr. Lausa battles Japanese Ulka Sasaki.
For RealFight.ph’s Mike Miguel, UFC fans should get a treat with the headlining fights in Singapore for they carry implications for the fighters as far as their standing in their respective divisions.
“In UFC’s return to Southeast Asia, the two headlining bouts have big implications to their respective divisions, signifying the promotion’s continued effort to provide world-class mixed martial arts fights in the region,” Mr. Miguel said in an interview with BusinessWorld.
“In the main event between Donald Cerrone (33-10) and Leon Edwards (14-3), an emphatic win would mean a lot for both fighters as they try to barge into the top 10 at 170. For Cerrone, this is a good springboard to show that he can still keep up with both the perennial and up-and-coming contenders. Edwards, on the other hand, has a good chance of cracking the top 10 especially if he gets to finish the former lightweight title challenger,” added Mr. Miguel, who also sees the same going for the Saint Preux-Pedro fight in the pecking order in the light-heavyweight division.
MUCH ON THE LINE
As far as the Filipino fighters seeing action, meanwhile, Mr. Miguel said a lot is riding on their fights and that they have to come up with a win.
“Both Filipinos are coming into the fight as significant underdogs. But that shouldn’t stop them from putting their hearts out and showing the Filipinos’ never-say-die attitude. With their UFC contracts on the line, they want nothing but getting their hands raised for another run at the Las Vegas-based outfit,” he said.
Mr. Dy (9-6-1) is coming off his first win in the UFC last time around while Mr. Lausa (7-4) is still looking for his breakthrough UFC victory in his fourth try.
Other fights in the main card of UFC Fight Night 132 are women’s flyweight Jessica-Rose Clark (#9) against Jessica “Evil” Eye (#10) and welterweight Li Jingliang versus Daichi Abe.
UFC Fight Night 132: Cerrone vs. Edwards will be shown live on Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m. with the prelims and 8 p.m. for the main card over Hyper Ch. 91 in SD or 261 in HD on Cignal TV.
In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Groups band anew for Ability Games

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo

CROSS-SECTOR groups recently banded anew for the fifth staging of the Ability Games.

An event designed to provide persons with disabilities (PWD) an opportunity to learn the sports of their choice as well as enhance the social awareness of parents, teachers, athletes, and students in attendance, the Ability Games successfully took place at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Gym in Taft Avenue.
During the event, which CSB did in collaboration with Ability Games proponent Eva Parreño, Potato Corner and advocacy-focused Volunteer-PWD, participants representing the deaf, blind, autistic, amputees, and persons with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy showcased their sporting skills and actively joined activities such as games of badminton, table tennis, chess, balloon relay, and even ballroom dancing.
CSB and its partners said that through the Ability Games, which was started by Ms Parreño in 2013, they hope their message of “inclusion” gets across while highlighting the role that sports play in it.
Joining the Fifth Ability Games were former national team athletes Stephen Fernandez and Akiko Thompson, who gave inspiring words and guidance to the participants.
Mr. Fernandez (taekwondo) was part of the Philippine Team that saw action at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and is currently the director of CSB’s Center for Sports and Development, while Ms. Thompson was a bemedalled Southeast Asian Games swimmer and is the president of the Philippine Olympians Associations.
Present at the Fifth Ability Games were participants from Philippine International Network for Accessible Tourism, Inc. (PINATI) in Malanday, Marikina; Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines (DSAPI); Amputee for Life (AMP4life); PWD Burgos Association; Autism Society of the Philippines Manila, Pasay, and Cavite Chapters; Las Pinas PWD Federation; Abot-Kamay ng mga may Kapansanan and Pag-unlad ng Pasigueno (AKAPP) Pinagbuhatan, Pasig; and Persons with Disabilities Office (PDAO) Tanauan, Batangas.

Cash-strapped Peru admits battle to save 2019 Dakar Rally

LIMA — Hard-up Peru admitted Wednesday that they could cancel the 2019 Dakar Rally because of financial constraints which have already forced Chile and Argentina to back out of co-hosting the gruelling event.
“We want to do everything possible to enable the Dakar to be held,” said Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva who admitted a final decision on whether or not the January rally will take place could be taken in the coming hours.
The root of the problem facing the Dakar lies with the allocation of precious government funds some of which have been used to try and solve specific problems such as humanitarian assistance given to the people of the Andes who are struggling against biting winter cold.
Despite the financial headache, the Peruvian leader recognized that the rally is “an event of the utmost importance for the country, because it is obvious that it draws attention to Peru.”
Both Chile and Argentina have already given up hosting stages of the 2019 Dakar Rally due to austerity measures while Bolivia has not yet managed to find an agreement for the route with organizers.
The 41st edition of the Dakar will be held from Jan. 6 to 17, 2019, on a loop of 10 stages, against 14 for the 2018 edition. — AFP

Dealing Leonard

As expected, the Spurs have been receiving offers for disgruntled Star Kawhi Leonard. And, as expected, they’re not yet keen on engaging in discussions on these offers. As far south as their relationship with the two-time All-Star has gone, they remain hopeful they can convince him to keep wearing silver and black. In part, the optimism is borne of their organizational stability and confidence in the way they run things; there’s a reason they’re viewed as the league’s gold standard. In larger measure, it’s fueled by the knowledge that dealing him will net them cents to the dollar.
To be sure, the Spurs aren’t without negotiating leverage. For one thing, Leonard is still under contract, and can, in fact, extend it to generate a windfall no other potential employer is able to provide. For another, the lines of communication continue to be open; he just met with head coach Gregg Popovich, and while he appears to have reiterated his preference to move to the Lakers, their talk underscored a mutual respect that enlivens the possibility of ties being repaired, if slowly.
It’s in this context that the Spurs have resolved to approach their most trying season in recent memory. They won’t be moved by offers that include assets slated to be acquired in today’s draft proceedings. Neither are they inclined to go out of their way to accommodate Leonard’s desire to be traded to the Lakers; it’ll happen only if it’s in their best interest. And they won’t care a hoot even if he aims to force his way to La-La Land by telling other parties that he’s a one-year rental at best.
Nonetheless, the Spurs will not be lacking in suitors. Leonard is worth all the headaches, not to mention the financial calisthenics. This is how the Thunder viewed their acquisition of Paul George last year, and how everybody else will consider the prospective arrival of the twice-named Defensive Player of the Year. Which is to say Popovich and Company will take their time assessing their options. They’ll exhaust all measures to retain him, and only when they can’t (and feel his value to them has diminished) will they pull the trigger on a swap.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

Where does the Philippines sell most of its exported goods?

By Carmina Angelica V. Olano, Researcher
US, Hong Kong and Japan continued to be the Philippines’ top export destinations, accounting for 45% of total exports in January to April this year, preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
The value of exports to Hong Kong posted a double-digit annual growth of 15.4%, while exports to US barely changed, growing 0.9%. Meanwhile, exports to Japan dropped 11.9 % from a year ago.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Graphics: Tone Dañas
RECOMMENDED:
Trade remains a drag in April as exports drop to lowest level in nearly 2 years
06.20

All Moro Convention group drafts Bangsamoro constitution under federal system

mindanao
Muslim students arrive for a rally in support of the peace agreement with the government in Cotabato City, on the southern island of Mindanao on March 27, 2014. — AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE

DAVAO CITY — A proposed constitution for a Bangsamoro region under a federal system of government will be submitted to the Consultative Committee to Review the Constitution (ConCom), which is currently holding a nationwide roadshow on the draft Constitution.
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Abulkhayr D. Alonto, in an interview, said the draft Bangsamoro constitution was already submitted to President Rodrigo R. Duterte last June 16.
The draft was put together by the All Moro Convention, headed by lawyer Michael O. Mastura, a historian and a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.
“The document is seen to build on the gains of such endeavors by including salient inputs from the Bangsamoro sector,” Mr. Alonto said.
The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will create a new political and geographical entity to replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is scheduled for bicameral deliberations in Congress on July 9 to 13.
Once a new constitution is approved, the BBL will be superseded along with the current Constitution, Mr. Alonto explained.– Carmelito Q. Francisco

Gov’t suspends talks with Reds

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
THE Philippine government has suspended all backchannel talks with the National Democtratic Front (NDF) pending the three-month review of all signed agreements related to the peace negotiations, government peace panel member Hernani A. Braganza said on Thursday.
In a statement, Mr. Braganza said that upon instructions of Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus G. Dureza and Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, “a government team flew to Utrecht to formally communicate to the NDF the decision of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to re-schedule the proposed resumption of government’s peace negotiations with communist guerrillas.”
He added: “In a meeting with the NDF leaders headed by Chief Negotiator Fidel V. Agcaoili and attended by Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria C. Sison, the government team also conveyed the Philippine government’s decision to suspend all backchannel talks with the NDF pending the three-month review of all signed agreements related to the peace negotiations. The suspension, however, does not preclude communications between the two parties if deemed necessary.”
Mr. Braganza said the meeting between the two parties was witnessed by third-party facilitators from the Royal Norwegian Government led by Special Envoy for Peace Idun Tvedt.
During the meeting, Mr. Braganza also said, “the NDF representatives expressed willingness to keep an open mind on the President’s decision and wait for the outcome of the government’s review before proceeding with any peace conversation with government. They reiterated their commitment to all signed agreements, including those involving the planned visit of Prof. Jose Ma. Sison in the Philippines to Manila for a meeting with the President. In turn, we extended the government panel’s appreciation to the NDF’s open-mindedness in coming to terms with President Duterte’s decision.”
For its part, the NDF said in a statement on Wednesday, “The NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) team listened to the explanation of the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) team on the reasons for postponing the resumption of the formal talks and agreed that the peace negotiations continue despite the cancellation of the scheduled formal talks in Oslo on June 28 to 30. The agreements reached in the four rounds of informal talks in March, April, May and June 2018, remain valid and have the effect of continuing the peace negotiations under the direction of the principals and reaffirmation of previous agreements.”
“In this regard, the two sides must comply with JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees) and its provision for a foreign neutral venue, consistent with the general practice of warring parties to negotiate peace outside of their country or their respective territories,” the NDF also said.
The statement also noted that “the GRP team had to seek clarification from its Principal of the statement made by GRP Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque that the Third Party Facilitator (TPF) had been dismissed. With the role of the TPF clarified,… (t)he NDFP side assured the other side that the NDFP principal took note of the clarification.”
“The role of the TPF is of key importance while there is need to hold formal peace negotiations in a foreign neutral venue in compliance with the pertinent provision in the (JASIG),” the statement said.

1...12,41712,41812,419...14,251Page 12,418 of 14,251
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube