BOGOTA, Colombia 

The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group signed the first of six agreements amid ongoing peace talks, local media reported Monday. 

The parties agreed on the first item of the peace negotiations, which were held from May 20-25 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

The joint declaration calls for all layers of society to be involved in the negotiation process and contribute to peace.

The document emphasized the importance of citizen participation in the construction of peace agreements and said that peace negotiations will continue from where they left off in Mexico.

Vera Grabe, head of the government’s delegation, said in a statement that they were pleased with the signing of the first article and found it “valuable” for civil society to be informed about the negotiations.

Pablo Beltran, the chief negotiator for the ELN’s delegation to the talks, said they had made progress in the negotiations and that it was important to express the opinions of the society. 

The Colombian government and the ELN agreed on Feb. 6 to extend a bilateral cease-fire agreement between them for six months. 

The parties, who came together in Caracas under the guarantorship and hosting of Venezuela, resumed the peace talks on Nov. 22, 2022, which were suspended in 2019.

The third round of peace negotiations, which began on May 2 last year in the Cuban capital Havana, ended with the signing of a six-month temporary cease-fire agreement which officially came into force on Aug. 3.

Negotiations with the ELN have been carried out as part of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s "Total Peace" strategy, an attempt to demobilize all of the country's remaining rebel groups to resolve a conflict dating back to the 1960s. However, the process has encountered numerous obstacles such as violations of the cease-fire agreement and dissent over various issues such as kidnappings and financing methods.

*Writing by Merve Berker