(VOVworld) – The Colombian government opened peace talks Tuesday with the National Liberation Army (ELN) Group in Quito, Ecuador. The talks, which hope to end a 53-year conflict in Colombia, included Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Guillaume Long, Colombian government representative Juan Camilo Restrepo, ELN member Pablo Beltran, and representatives from Cuba, Norway, Chile and Brazil.
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Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos (Source: VNA) |
Addressing the event, ELN representative Pablo Beltran stressed the importance of establishing a bilateral cease-fire before conducting peace talks. Colombian government chief negotiator Juan Camilo Restrepo thanked Ecuador's President Rafael Correa for supporting the peace process in Colombia.