Colombian President Alvaro Uribe arrived in French capital Paris
on Sunday, starting a tour to discuss European efforts to release
hostages held by Colombian rebels.
Uribe met the family of the French-Colombian hostage Ingrid
Betancourt after his arrival on Sunday.
Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate who has
been held since 2002, is the highest profile hostage of the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Uribe's government
considers her release a high priority.
Uribe is due to meet his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy on
Monday at France's seat of government, the Elisee Palace.
He will also meet Heve Marro, the official spokesman for the
French Ingrid Betancourt Support Committee.
Rebels of the FARC on January 10 handed over two women hostages,
Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez, to an international mission led
by Venezuela.
Consuelo Gonzalez was kidnapped in 2001 and Clara Rojas was
taken hostage in 2002 alongside her running mate Ingrid
Betancourt.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez acted as a mediator in the
release of Rojas and Gonzalez.
(Xinhua News Agency, January 21, 2008)
