Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Colombian counterpart on support for peace talks with the Estado Mayor Central armed group.

In February, the UK jointly led the third UN Security Council (UNSC) visit to Colombia in support of the 2016 peace process. The Council met with President Petro and the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace to discuss the Colombian Government's vision to broaden peace through dialogue with armed groups. The Council discussed the dialogue with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) which it has indicated a willingness to consider mandating the UN to support. Through our role as penholder at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK will continue to work closely with international partners in support of the peace process in Colombia.