Peace breakthrough
President Santos and leaders of FARC vow to end Latin America’s longest running armed conflict in the coming months after reaching a breakthrough in talks that puts the country closer to peace than it has been in half a century. Both sides have set a six-month deadline to sign a final agreement. After that, the group will demobilize within 60 days. In a joint statement, Santos and the FARC rebels say they have overcome the last significant obstacle to a peace deal by settling on a formula to punish human rights abuses committed during about 50 years of fighting. The formula is designed to demand accountability from belligerents while insulating a deal against possible legal challenges from victims. Santos and Timoshenko shake hands. Santos:
We are on different sides but today we advance in the same direction, in the most noble direction a society can take, which is toward peace.
U.S. Secretary of State Kerry says:
Peace is now ever closer for the Colombian people and millions of conflict victims.
Syrian, Lebanon relations restored
Assad issues a presidential decree ordering the establishment of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon and announcing the opening of an embassy-level diplomatic mission in Beirut. Following the announcement, the Lebanese Foreign Minister says he will visit damascus to finalize the agreement
Tomorrow I will be in Damascus to meet with my colleague [Syrian Foreign] Minister Walid Moallem…to finalize the necessary measures to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries…My visit will be a crown to the excellent relations between the two countries,