Obama congratulates Colombian president on peace agreement with FARC
Xinhua, August 25, 2016 Adjust font size:
U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday spoke over phone with his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos to congratulate him on finalizing a peace agreement with Colombia's largest rebel group to end decades of a civil war.
In the phone conversation, Obama "recognized this historic day as a critical juncture in what will be a long process to fully implement a just and lasting peace agreement that can advance security and prosperity for the Colombian people," the White House said in a statement.
Obama also pledged to continue the U.S. bipartisan tradition of support for strengthening Colombia's institutions and improving the lives of the Colombian people, the statement said.
"The two presidents agreed to maintain close collaboration between our governments in the coming months and to continue joint efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics trafficking," it added.
The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced late Wednesday the conclusion of a final peace agreement to end the half-century-old civil war.
The conflict, which started in the 1960s as an uprising for land rights, has left about 260,000 people dead, 45,000 missing and nearly 7 million displaced, according to official figures. Endi