An agreement to begin peace talks before the end of June was announced after a meeting in Jakarta between MNLF leader Nur Misuari and a Philippine government panel headed by congressman and former army general Eduardo Ermita. While Misuari publicly stuck to his old position of seeking independence, the joint communique recognized that national sovereignty and territorial integrity will prevail in any negotiations between the two sides. Philippine officials described Libya as the prime mover behind the April 14-16 meeting. The government has agreed to allow the OIC to act as a facilitator at the talks, scheduled to be held somewhere in Mindanao. (Disclaimer: Incident occurred within the month of April in 1993)