Brussels, 31/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 30 July, the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council published a declaration in which it refers to its "deep concern at the mounting violence in Colombia, befalling foreign aid workers, international officials and Colombian citizens involved in the search for peace and in assisting the civilian population." The declaration observes that "the holding up of a UN vehicle and abduction of one it its occupants and the abduction of three German aid workers are the latest in a long line of other unlawful detentions of EU nationals and killings of foreign nationals, journalists and many Colombian citizens." The incidents, the Belgian Presidency stresses "seriously compromise the international community's support for Colombia's peace process, hamper the facilitator countries' role and place unnecessary obstacles in the way of implementation of the European Union support programme announced in Brussels on 30 April 2001 and of bilateral cooperation projects." Such acts, moreover, "serve only to strengthen the hand of those opposed to peace," the Union observes, calling for "all hostages to be released without delay and for their physical integrity to be respected", and calls "on all parties concerned to renounce all forms of violence and to commit themselves to resolving their differences through positive, constructive dialogue." The text in full is on the Council site under "Cfsp Statements" of the "newsroom": http: //ue.eu.int/newsroom/main.cfm?lang=2