31/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - Catherine Ashton welcomes release by FARC of journalist Romeo Langlois. The EU high representative for foreign affairs welcomed, on Thursday 31 May, the release of the French journalist, Romeo Langlois, who has been held by the FARC (the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia) since 28 April. In the hope that this positive development will mark a definitive halt to the practice of kidnapping by the FARC, Ashton restated her call for “all the hostages still held captive to be freed immediately and without conditions”, Ashton's spokesman said. French President François Hollande asserted “this is a moment of great joy and I fully share in the happiness and relief of Langlois' family, those near to him and his colleagues at France 24”. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius expressed his “gratitude” to all those who, in one way or another, “worked to bring about this happy outcome”. The journalist was captured when the guerrilla group attacked the Colombian army that he was accompanying to film an anti-drug operation. (CG/transl.jl)