Colombian gov't, rebel group on verge of pact to start formal peace talks

(25 Oct 2006) SHOTLIST 1. Wide exterior Palco Hotel, Havana 2. Pan right of Colombian Government peace envoy Luis Carlos Restrepo arriving at talks 3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luis Carlos Restrepo, Colombian Government peace envoy: "When we decided to move forward with a base agreement, we're talking about ending the exploratory phase and the beginning of a new phase. What will it be called? We haven't defined that yet, but the decision to move toward a base agreement has been taken." 4. Medium of Antonio Garcia arriving at talks 5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Antonio Garcia, Commander of National Liberation Army (ELN): "It is an important approximation between the government and the ELN. There are still elements to discuss in reference to the future and that is the analysis from which we begin. We are a table that has been consolidating itself and we will continue to walk toward a base agreement that would allow the process to continue." 6. Medium of ELN representatives at conference table 7. Medium of Colombian government representatives at conference table 8. Medium of guarantors at conference table STORYLINE Representatives of Colombia's government and its second-largest rebel group announced on Tuesday they are on the verge of reaching an agreement to start formal peace talks after decades of hostility. The two sides began the latest round of Havana-hosted peace discussions last week, and planned to continue meeting to hammer out the final details. On Tuesday both sides announced that all the preliminary talks have ended and that they are ready to move forward. "There are still elements to discuss in reference to the future and that is the analysis from which we begin. We are a table that has been consolidating itself and we will continue to walk toward a base agreement that would allow the process to continue," said Antonio Garcia, Commander of the National Liberation Army (ELN). Government peace envoy Luis Carlos Restrepo also expressed optimism about the progress of the latest conversations, part of a round of meetings that began last December in Havana. "When we decided to move forward with a base accord, we're talking about ending the exploratory phase and the beginning of a new phase. What will it be called? We haven't defined that yet, but the decision to move toward a base agreement has been taken", Restrepo, said. The meetings are observed by guarantors from several countries including Cuba, Sweden, and for the first time Venezuela. The ELN, the country's second-largest rebel group after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has been fighting Colombia's government since the 1960s for social changes. It has seen its forces dwindle to fewer than 3,500 fighters, however, after a military offensive by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The new agreement would have two specific areas: the participation of Colombian civil society and the creation of an environment favouring peace, participants in the talks said. In recent days, the government, rebel representatives and members of civil society have been discussing possible compromises to de-mine rural areas, stop the displacement of Colombians caused by violence and release rebel prisoners - a top demand of the ELN. The compromises could reduce the intensity of the armed conflict that has been tearing apart Colombia for more than four decades. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...