--- SEARCH ---
WEATHER
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
CULTURE
GOVERNMENT
SCI-TECH
ENVIRONMENT
SPORTS
LIFE
PEOPLE
TRAVEL
WEEKLY REVIEW
Film in China
War on Poverty
Learning Chinese
Learn to Cook Chinese Dishes
Exchange Rates
Hotel Service
China Calendar
Telephone and
Postal Codes


Hot Links
China Development Gateway
Chinese Embassies

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland
Foreign Affairs College
Colombia Agrees to Meet with FARC on Hostages Exchange

The Colombian government agreed Tuesday to meet with the armed rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on a humanitarian exchange of imprisoned rebels for hostages.

"The government accepts the hamlet of Aures, Caicedonia municipality, as the venue for the meeting with FARC to address the humanitarian agreement," Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo said.

However, he did not disclose whether the government would withdraw troops from two regions as demanded by the FARC.

Earlier, the commissioner held a meeting with relatives of the hostages in the hands of the armed group in Cali, the country's third most important city.

The principal guerrilla force in the country proposed the release of 59 hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, in exchange for 500 imprisoned rebels.

The FARC demanded the demilitarization of two municipalities, Florida and Pradera in Valle del Cauca department, in order to proceed with the negotiations with the government for the exchange.

In response, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said the government would discuss the exchange with the FARC, but it is against demilitarizing the two municipalities.
 
The FARC is the main rebel group in Colombia with at least 17,000 combatants.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2005)

Colombian Police Capture Drug Lord
500 Paramilitaries Hand over Arms to Colombian Gov't
Fierce Fighting Between Colombian Army, Rebels Kill 31
Proposed Law Endangers Talks in Colombia
Colombian Rebels Kill 10 Soldiers
At Least 14 Killed in Attacks in Colombia
Print This Page
|
Email This Page
About Us SiteMap Feedback
Copyright © China Internet Information Center. All Rights Reserved
E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-68326688