PES saddened by the outcome of the Colombian referendum
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The Party of European Socialists is deeply saddened by the outcome of the Colombian referendum on the peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla.
PES President Sergei Stanishev said: "Our political family is supporting strongly the peace negotiation process in Colombia from the very beginning. We welcomed the initiative of President Santos to achieve lasting peace in Colombia once and for all. The High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz were in Colombia this year to extend support to the peace process. Today, we are deeply saddened by the outcome of the referendum. But we also know the road to peace is more sinuous than others and we continue to believe that negotiation is our best chance to achieve the peace Colombians deserve."
Stanishev said: "The immense international support this process has gathered will not disappear. The European Progressives will continue to support all diplomatic efforts leading to securing the ceasefire and achieving lasting peace. This is a big setback in our aspirations but we are not back to square one. I am sure that the whole negotiation process will not be in vain."
Party of European Socialists (PES)