MANILA, Philippines—A senior British government official is helping the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) get back to the negotiating table by sharing with them the story of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that established power sharing in Northern Ireland after 30 years of peace talks.

Hannigan, Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s security adviser, was part of ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s team that hammered out the Northern Ireland agreement.

He and British Ambassador to the Philippine Peter Beckingham met with Philippine Cabinet officials in a closed-door briefing on Tuesday that lasted three hours.

The meeting included Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano.

Hannigan came to Manila after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed the idea of inviting Blair to help in the negotiations between the government and MILF which were shelved after the Supreme Court cancelled a deal that would have given the Moro people an expanded homeland in Mindanao.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Hannigan said the meeting was mostly a sharing of his experiences on the negotiating team that brokered the Northern Ireland agreement that ended the low-intensity civil war between Irish Catholics and Protestants of almost four decades.

Hannigan said it was usual for peace negotiations to meet with hurdles along the way. The important thing, he said, was for all the stakeholders to keep going.

“I think the biggest and broadest lesson is that peace processes have their downs as well as ups. The important thing is to keep going. Sometimes moments of agreement are preceded by very difficult periods or followed by difficult periods. I think it’s important to keep your eyes on the goal, the prize of peace,” he said.

He was quick to stress that he was not in Manila to offer ways to resolve the deadlock between the government and the MILF.

“Obviously there are big differences. I don’t come with a solution and models,” Hannigan said.

However, he said he was encouraged by the meeting on Tuesday because it showed the government was sincere in pursuing peace.

“I certainly see from the useful discussion with the government that there is a strong commitment to the process,” he said.

Hannigan is set to meet with MILF leaders and civil society groups in Mindanao today. He said he would “listen” to their concerns.

He said the message he would take to the MILF “is that reaching a solution is difficult, it takes time, there are many disappointments along the way but the prize is worth it.” With an Agence France-Presse report