Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said in Manila Thursday that his country sees the six-party talks in Beijing as a sign of hope for the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.

"We have always advocated for peaceful dialogue in relation to the issue of nuclear weapons in the Korean peninsula. We commend the parties concerned for setting aside some of the differences and agreeing to come together in Beijing for these talks," a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs quoted Ople as saying.

Ople, who had just returned from an official visit to China, said that he had been given a detailed briefing of the six-party talks by his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing.

"I deeply appreciated the briefing ... I also acknowledged the central role being played by China on this issue. China is doing the world a great service in taking the lead in helping find a solution to this problem," he added.

The secretary, however, reiterated that while the Philippines was hopeful, it was guardedly optimistic about the talks.

"While we recognize that these talks are just a beginning, I hope that the talks will be the start of a meaningful process of dialogue that will take those concerned away from the path of confrontation and conflict and firmly on the road to a just and peaceful solution," he noted.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 29, 2003)