MANILA: The government is ready to resume peace talks with communist rebels and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf).

Avelino Razon Jr, presidential advisor on the peace process, said the snag in the peace talks is temporary.

“Let me assure you that this development has instead fired up our enthusiasm even more to push the peace process more aggressively forward,” he said.

Speaking to the Council of Inter-Religious Leaders Prayer Breakfast Fellowship in Quezon City, Razon said the peace process remains alive, strong and moving.

“The Arroyo government will continue to talk to the NDF (National Democratic Front),” he said.

Peace talks between the government and the NDF in Oslo, Norway last August 28 were put on hold after the NDF made new demands just when the talks were about to start.

On peace talks with the Milf, Razon said the government intends to resume the discussions with the Milf after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

“We continue to see more light in our engagements with the Milf,” he said. “We have not and will never allow any setback to slow down our journey toward peace.”

“We continue to forge ahead, this time with even more passion, with deeper resolve and with greater optimism,” he added.

Talks with the Milf bogged down in August last year after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of an agreement on ancestral domain.