Representatives for the Philippine government and the nation’s communist rebels have agreed to make an effort to resume their stalled peace talks in Oslo next month, according to Aftenposten.
The impasse stems from the communist rebels’ demand that the Philippines free 13 captured insurgent officers, according to the government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla.
The new breakthrough came after the Norwegian special advisor, Ture Lundh, who has been brokering the negotiations, travelled to the Philippines in an attempt to try to break the deadlock.
The government and the communists have held on-and-off peace talks for over 20 years but in a meeting brokered by Norway in February, the two sides agreed to speed up negotiations in an attempt seal a peace accord by June 2012.
However, in recent months Communist leaders have insisted on the release of the 13 captured officers.
