The European Ministers of Foreign Affairs Monday voiced their support to the talks between the Colombian government and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to attain a humanitarian agreement to swap hostages for rebels, and showed a particular interest in the mediation efforts conducted by President Hugo Chávez, AFP reported.

In a statement adopted during a meeting in Brussels, the 27 members of the European Union said the bloc "is closely watching the efforts of the Colombian government, particularly with the collaboration of the President of Venezuela, and supports the work of all the people committed to enforce the humanitarian international law in Colombia."
 
The statement came on the eve of Chávez's visit to Paris, where he is to inform his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy on the progress made in his mediation efforts.

Last October 9, the Portuguese Presidency of the EU supported Chávez's mediation between the Colombian government and the FARC.