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.
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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)