Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of prospects for bilateral ceasefires in the Colombian peace process.

On 14 January 2015, President Santos announced that his government was ready to begin discussions on a bilateral cease-fire with the FARC, and instructed his negotiators to start discussions as soon as possible. He noted that the FARC had complied with their unilateral cease-fire to date.

We welcome this latest development, which shows a further commitment on both sides to negotiate a sustainable peace for all Colombians after decades of conflict. We will continue to follow events closely.