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Columbia to commence talks with ELN

The Columbian government has announced it will hold peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN), the country's second-largest militant group after Farc.

Officials from both sides, who have been fighting for over five decades, made the announcement in Caracas, Venezuela, where they have been engaged in informal discussions.

A joint statement was read by the former peace commissioner Frank Pearl and ELN rebel Antonio Garcia at the Venezuelan foreign ministry in Caracas, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

The officials said they had agreed on a six-point agenda for the formal peace talks which will start in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos welcomed the announcement, saying,

"From the start of my time in office I have said that we have to put an end to this conflict, and if the ELN joins in with these efforts, then we'll have a more stable and lasting peace, which is what all Colombians want."

For more on the ELN see here.

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