By DPA
Paris : France is prepared to receive members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released by the Colombian government in any hostage exchange, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Wednesday.
Fillon told Europe 1 radio that other European or Latin American countries could also be used in a possible exchange and that France would be willing to send observers to participate in the negotiations for the exchange.
FARC are demanding the release of 500 rebels against the freeing of 45 hostages the group is holding, a condition that has been accepted by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
Fillon’s comments came just hours after FARC said it was releasing three hostages, including Clara Rojas, the former director of the presidential campaign of Ingrid Betancourt, who is also held by the guerrillas.
The two women were kidnapped on Feb 23, 2002. Betancourt holds dual French and Colombian citizenship, and President Nicolas Sarkozy has made her release a French foreign policy priority.
In a statement dated Dec 9 and released late Tuesday by the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina, FARC said it would also be releasing the child Rojas conceived and bore in captivity as well as former Colombian lawmaker Consuelo Gonzalez, kidnapped in September 2001.
The statement said the three would be released to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was active in negotiations with FARC until “fired” by Uribe, but it did not specify when the three would be released.