Mogherini stresses EU support for Colombian peace talks during visit
In Colombia for her first official visit as EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini i met Government leaders, visited an EU-funded project for young people affected by conflict and signed EU-Colombia cooperation contracts on the environment, demining and the "Community Radios for Peace" project. One of her key messages was to convey the EU's solid support for peace talks between the Colombian Government and representatives of FARC to end decades of civil war.
In Colombia for her first official visit as EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini met Government leaders, visited an EU-funded project for young people affected by conflict and signed EU-Colombia cooperation contracts on the environment, demining and the "Community Radios for Peace" project. One of her key messages was to convey the EU's solid support for peace talks between the Colombian Government and representatives of FARC to end decades of civil war.
In Bogotá Federica Mogherini met Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and Foreign Minister María Ángela Holguín among others. She also met representatives of civil society during her visit in Colombia. At a press conference following the meeting with Ms Holguín, Federica Mogherini stressed that the European Union has "a very high interest" to see the peace process finalised and said the EU would support Colombia politically and financially in dealing with post-conflict issues.
At the press conference Mogherini affirmed that: "As Europeans, we are together with Colombia in the peace process. We see that Colombia needs to find the peace, to put an end to a conflict that has cost so much to all its citizens: I was thinking that the majority of the citizens of the country were born as this conflict was already ongoing."
She also stressed the opportunities an end to conflict could bring. It would be "an opportunity for the country to open up from the conflict and bring peace, but also for the economy; peace brings more jobs, economic and trade possibilities" Mogherini noted.
On the peace talks Mogherini said: "I know from a personal experience in other kind of negotiations that the closest we get to the final stance of the negotiations, the harder it becomes."
The High Representative also stated that Colombia was a "great partner" in the region for the European Union. She mentioned cooperation on trade and the recent visa waiver agreement between Brussels and Bogotáas examples. She also pointed out that “Colombia is the Latin American country with which the European Union has had the most frequent exchanges at the highest possible level.”
Links:
Video: Federica Mogherini meets Colombia's PresidentJuan Manuel Santos
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?sitelang=en&ref=I121782
Video: Federica Mogherini meets Foreign Minister María Ángela Holguín
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?sitelang=en&ref=I121780
Federica Mogherini at the press conference in Bogota, Colombia
http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2016/160526_01_en.htm
EU and Colombia
http://eeas.europa.eu/colombia/index_en.htm
Delegación de la Unión Europea en Colombia / EU Delegation to Colombia