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BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday that it will continue to support Colombia's peace process following the announcement that the government of Colombia and the country's second largest rebel group, known as ELN, will begin peace talks.
On Monday in Caracas, Venezuela, the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced that they will begin formal negotiations on Oct. 27 in Quito, capital of Ecuador.
Calling the announcement a new step in the peace process, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China will continue to extend its firm support to the peace process.
China called on all concerned parties to support the realization of all-round peace, he said.
Geng added that China appreciated Venezuela and Ecuador's efforts.
The announcement came on the heels of a peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's largest rebel group.
The peace deal obviously prompted the ELN to agree to negotiations with the government, although the peace deal with FARC was rejected by the FARC referendum on Oct. 2.
After the referendum results were revealed, the ELN said that despite the outcome, it called on all Colombians to continue to tirelessly fight for peace with change.
