Brussels, 22/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Spanish foreign minister and President of the EU Council of Ministers, Josep Pique, has re-affirmed his support for the peace process in Colombia. Speaking at a press conference in Madrid, he said "The European Union, and in particular the Spanish Government, has been clear in its support for the efforts of President Pastrana and the Colombian Government in that country's peace process. This is a hugely complicated peace process, which is endeavouring to bring an end to many decades of confrontation, suffering and death". Mr Pique said that the decision by the Colombian President to end the de-militarised zone where the FARC guerrillas had taken refuge as "entirely proper and correct". He added that President Pastrana "has been proved right often enough over the last three years for us to share his view that the desire for peace is not compatible with continued killing, continued links to and involvement in drugs trafficking and continued kidnappings. I consider the recent episode of the hijacking of an aircraft and kidnapping of a Colombian senator to be an unacceptable provocation, and one which fully justifies the reaction of President Pastrana, who continues to receive our support and to whom we wish success in his decisions". The High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, made a similar statement on Thursday (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.4).