Chinese envoy calls on upcoming Colombian gov't to consolidate peace

UNITED NATIONS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the upcoming Colombian government to further consolidate peace in the country.

China welcomes the successful holding of the presidential elections and appreciates the commitment of President-elect Gustavo Petro to implementing the peace agreement, his call for national unity and his focus on achieving peace as the core goal of the upcoming government, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We hope the new government will build on the achievements already made, actively promote the peace process in Colombia, work to address the difficulties and challenges in the implementation of the peace agreement, and consolidate the hard-won peace gains," he told the Security Council.

Violence by illegal armed groups in some areas has seriously threatened the safety of civilians, especially women and children, and has become a disruptive factor to the peace process. China welcomes President-elect Petro's willingness to resume peace talks with the National Liberation Army and to open dialogue with other armed groups yet to join the peace process, he said.

China also hopes that the upcoming government is committed to improving the security situation in the conflict-affected areas through dialogue and negotiation so as to end the conflict once and for all and by strengthening the deployment of security forces in the conflict-affected areas where the government lacks effective control, he added.

Achieving development is the fundamental means to eradicate the root causes of violence and conflict, said Dai.

Fully implementing the key provisions of the peace agreement, such as rural reform, the re-integration of former combatants and substitution of illicit crops, requires sustained government investments to accelerate land and housing distribution and ensure the balanced development of all regions, he said.

The peace process in Colombia is a success story of ending a conflict and rebuilding peace through dialogue and negotiation. China appreciates the important role played by the UN Verification Mission in Colombia in support of the peace process. China hopes the mission will maintain cooperation with the upcoming government and strengthen coordination with the UN Country Team in Colombia to make even greater contributions to the early achievement of lasting peace, stability, and sustainable development, he said.

China firmly supports Colombia in its efforts to fully implement the peace agreement and stands ready to work with the rest of the international community to continue to support the Colombian-led and Colombian-owned peace process. China looks forward to more achievements by the Columbia people in nation-building and development, he said.