BRUSSELS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - The European Union will keep Colombian FARC rebels on its terrorism list, the bloc's foreign policy chief said on Tuesday, backing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in his fight against the Marxist group. "Uribe has our full support in his fight ... against terrorism," Javier Solana told reporters after meeting with Uribe, who is on a European tour to discuss ways to liberate dozens of hostages held by the FARC rebels. "The terrorists must free the hostages with no conditions," Solana added. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who secured the freedom of two female politicians kidnapped by the Marxist rebels earlier this month, has said that peace talks can only progress if the group was labelled as insurgent, not terrorist. But Uribe has rejected this call, and the EU backed his position. Asked whether the EU could consider taking the FARC off its black list, Solana said: "The answer is no ... there is no reason to change our position." Uribe met on Sunday in Paris with relatives of French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt, a former Colombian presidential candidate held by the FARC since 2002. The Colombian president has authorised France, Spain and Switzerland to revive efforts to seek an accord with the rebels on releasing the hostages, including Betancourt. The three European countries had sought previously to broker an agreement between Uribe's government and the FARC on freeing prisoners held in Latin America's oldest rebel insurgency. Started as a Marxist-inspired peasant army, the FARC is deeply involved in Colombia's cocaine trade, officials say. Authorities say the rebels are holding as many as 750 captives for ransom or political leverage. (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by David Brunnstrom)
A relative of Sgt. Luis Moreno holds a picture during a meeting to demand humanitary exchange in Florida, Colombia January 21, 2008. Moreno was kidnapped 9 years ago by Revolutionary Armed ...
