Envoy commits PHL to 2-State solution for Israel-Palestine conflict

The Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) said the country is willing to play a key role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by supporting a two-State solution. “The Philippines is a strong advocate and supporter of the Middle East Peace Process and is set to make a contribution in any way it can," said the Filipino envoy Libran Cabactulan in a statement issued over the weekend. He made the remarks upon returning to the country after a two-day UN General Assembly meeting in New York to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov. 29. Cabactulan was also among 53 country representatives who delivered their statements before the UN Security Council on Nov. 22. Noting the government’s concern over the welfare and security of more than two million Filipino migrant workers in the Middle East, Cabactulan said that the Philippines favors the “two-State solution" proposed by UN peace panel members as the best solution to bring lasting peace to the region. "The Philippines has for many years joined the global clamor for the establishment of a Palestinian homeland to help alleviate the dire situation of the Palestinian people," the envoy told Xinhua news agency on Thursday. "In this regard, the Philippines sees merit in the two-State solution proposed by our partners for peace and hopes that both Israel and Palestine will put their hands together to meaningfully achieve a long-standing and durable solution to the problem," he said. Nuke-free Middle East Scoring Israel’s nuclear weapons policy, the envoy also said the Philippines was for making the Middle East a zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) to help create "a solid foundation for peace and stability" in the region. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT), which aims to limit the spread of nuclear weapons, came into force in 1970. Of 189 countries that signed the treaty, five nuclear States — the US, Russia, UK, France, and China — are also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Israel is also widely believed to have nuclear weapons, but it has refused to confirm or deny this. The Philippines presided over the May 2010 NPPT Review Conference at the UN headquarters in New York where nations reaffirmed the proposal to establish a WMD-free Middle East, urging countries in that region to attend a 2012 international conference to create such a zone. "The Philippines views the outcome of the 2010 NPPT Review Conference as a significant contribution to the Middle East peace process," Cabactulan said. While pushing for disarmament, the envoy said this was not the only component of achieving peace in the Middle East. "The other part of the foundation rests on the commitment of countries in the region to respect each other's right to exist, to live free from the threat of destruction and annihilation and the right to live in peace with their neighbors," he said. — DM/VS/MRT, GMANews.TV