MANILA, Philippines -- A British government security expert on Tuesday advised both the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to persist in finding a negotiated solution to the hostilities in Mindanao.

?I think the biggest and broadest lesson is that peace process has their downs and ups. The important thing is to keep going ... I think it?s important to keep your eyes on the goal, the prize of peace,? Robert Hannigan said in an interview.

The British government flew in Hannigan, a security adviser to the British prime minister, to share his views on how peace talks were conducted in Northern Island.

He was part of former British prime minister Tony Blair's team which hammered a peace agreement with rebels in Northern Ireland

Tuesday morning, British government officials and senior Philippine Cabinet members held a closed-door meeting to exchange views and methods on peace negotiations.

Hannigan said it is usual for peace negotiations to suffer hurdles. The important thing, he said, is for all stakeholders to push through.

Peace negotiations between the government and MILF have been stalled since the botched signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, which the Supreme Court has since declared unconstitutional.

Hannigan is in Manila until Wednesday. He is scheduled to meet with officials of the MILF Tuesday night and with civil society groups in Mindanao Wednesday.