COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front welcomes the Iranian government’s interest in helping resolve the decades-old Moro rebellion in Mindanao.

Jun Mantawil, chair of the MILF’s peace panel secretariat, said that Iran’s interest was a clear indication of the growing international support for the 13-year-long peace talks.

He said that more support from the international community would be better for the peace process because it will pressure the government into honoring agreements already reached.

Mantawil said Iran could become part of the International Contact Group (ICG), a mechanism that would ensure all agreements are complied with by both sides.

The ICG is currently composed of the United Kingdom, Japan and Turkey. Saudi Arabia, which was also invited, has not responded yet.

The Mindanao peace talks hit a snag after the government turned its back on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, which would have given the MILF a larger area of control.

The Supreme Court eventually declkared the MOA-AD unconsitutional.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki told reporters in Manila on Thursday that his government was ready to help so that the peace talks between the government and the MILF could resume.

Mottaki said Iran, a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, has not received any invitation from either party yet but added that his government was willing to take on a greater role in the talks.

Mottaki said currently, his government’s role is that of a supporter to the Philippine initiative of interfaith dialogue for sustainable peace.

As this developed, the European Union called on the government and the MILF anew to restart the talks in the wake of recent agreements reached during low-level talks in Kuala Lumpur.

“The EU encourages both sides to build on recent positive developments and to resume the formal peace talks at an early date. The EU hopes that this process will create a climate in which the internally-displaced persons, facing continuing difficulties, may soon able to return to their homes in safety,” the EU said in statement Friday.