Strasbourg, 21/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - At a press conference on Wednesday 20 February on the sidelines of the European plenary session in Strasbourg, Nicole Fontaine (EPP-ED, France) and Luisa Morgantini (GUE/NGL, Italy) said that they had accompanied the support group for Ingrid Betancourt and the other FARC hostages to Bogota on 8-11 February as part of the campaign to raise public awareness and maintain the momentum of this cause, which is close to the heart of both women. “Every step is important in this long-term process to free the hostages,” they said. Their presence allowed meetings to take place to take stock of the hostages' situation with those most involved and who, on a daily basis, are working to bring an end to this “tragedy”: associations, the churches, the Red Cross, the hostages' families, freed hostages, ambassadors - especially those of Spain, France and Switzerland, responsible for mediation. Fontaine and Morgantini also conveyed the support of the EU to the hostages and their families. The two MEPs also used their journey to raise and increase public awareness of the situation among the Colombian population “so that the fate of the hostages does not become trivialised or forgotten”. They said that the situation had changed over the last few months with the release of three hostages in December, after protracted negotiations with the FARC over almost six years had led to nothing. “We hope that there will be a further release soon and, with proof that Ingrid Betancourt is still alive, it shows that it is right to continue our efforts,” they said in a press release. Both regret, however, that, for the moment, there are no “unilateral releases”, although it is still hoped to find a “humanitarian agreement which would see the release of all political hostages in return for the release of a number of FARC prisoners”. “Today, it would appear that the involvement of the EU and that of the other Latin American countries is indispensable for the release of the hostages.” “It is virtually universally agreed that there is a need for a humanitarian agreement, and also for international pressure to be brought, particularly by the EU, to persuade Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the FARC that there can be no military solution and that the only way out of the conflict is through a negotiated settlement,” they said. Colombian MP Consuelo Gonzales del Perdono, who was held hostage by the FARC and released on 10 January, will visit the European Parliament on 26 February to call for EU support for the release of all FARC hostages. (E.H.)