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On the first day of the New Year my thoughts and prayers go to the victims, their families and loved ones, of the bombing in Cotabato yesterday and the victims, their families and loved ones, of the tropical depression of Usman.
The EU fully supports the on-going peace process in Mindanao. I frequently visit Cotabato and am impressed each time by the progress made, and the commitment of my counterparts to build a better future for the region. Peace and reconciliation is the way forward. Violence and hatred will never succeed.
The New Year brings new hope to us all, and we stand together with the Philippine government in its efforts to make the country more peaceful and safer.
From EU Ambassador Franz Jessen