During the EP plenary session (28-31 May 2018) in Strasbourg, Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, addresses MEPs in a formal sitting.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

Strasbourg

EU - Colombia (T)

speech

formal sitting

SANTOS CALDERON, Juan Manuel (CO)

Address by Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia: extracts from the formal sitting

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, All Colombian efforts for stabilisation are being threatened by the worrying situation in Venezuela. Colombia, as other countries in the region, is facing the largest number of displaced persons ever seen in Latin America, there is a risk that the situation becomes yet worse and there will be a real refugee crisis. That&rsquo;s why the EP calls for assistance to be grated to those countries who are affected and we will send a delegation to the border areas to check the situation on the field.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, These were the first elections since 1962, more than half a century ago, that were able to be held without the threat and interference represented by the internal violent conflict with the FARC. (&hellip;) That&rsquo;s why this time the debates between candidates were focused on issues like education, health, pensions, citizen&rsquo;s security and taxation, and not as it happened for so many years, on the absurd war which we were suffering.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, I am not here to tell you that Colombia has achieved full peace, because that would not be true. There is still a small guerrilla group, the ELN, with whom we are currently holding peace talks in La Habana, and there are also organised criminal groups dedicated to the terrible businesses of drug trafficking.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, Only peace and reconciliation, only democracy and respect for human rights can counteract the malign influence of nationalism, fundamentalism, of racism, of populism and intolerance. Applause.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, We need to recognise that we have not won and are no winning the so called &lsquo;war on drugs&rsquo; which is been going on now for more than 50 years. (&hellip;) The simple punitive and repressive policy has failed, and until we come up with common strategies which work better, drugs trading and trafficking will continue to undermine the health of our young people, the moral of our society and the governability of our countries.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, By 2021 we aim to be a completely free mine country. We are making progress, it&rsquo;s difficult but we are doing so with determination and with the help of the EU, as we try to build the peace which must follow from the signing of the peace agreement.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Manuel SANTOS CALDERON, President of the Republic of Colombia, I am addressing you today to reaffirm our commitment to work for peace, but I am here also and most of all to say a heart full THANK YOU, to the generous and high minded people of Europe. Standing ovation, cutaways.