Colombian President Alvaro Uribe met Alvaro Leyva Duran, a mediator between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), officials said on Friday.

Uribe spend two hours talking with Leyva, accompanied by Luis Carlos Restrepo, the government's high commissioner for peace, and presidential adviser Fabio Valencia.

Colombian media said the meeting suggested that Uribe was keen to seek peace with FARC, Colombia's largest rebel group. Uribe told reporters two weeks ago that he would try to make contact with FARC.
 
Leyva helped launch the peace process between the government and guerillas in 1982 and 1998, with both attempts eventually collapsing. He promised to continue to help the government to hold peace talks with FARC.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2006)