Ecuador considers restoring ties with Colombia

QUITO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador is considering the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Colombia, severed six months ago after the Colombian army bombed a guerilla camp in Ecuadorian territory, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador said on Monday.

"It is a proposal we are working at and it is not a official one yet," Salvador told reporters.

The minister said that the initial proposal was included in the conversations Ecuador had with the Organization of American States(OAS), which is mediating between Ecuador and Colombia.

Quito severed ties with Colombia on March 3, two days after the Colombian army attacked a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ecuadorian territory. FARC's spokesman alias Raul Reyes together with another 25 people were killed in the attack.

Salvador and Ecuadorian Interior Security Minister Gustavo Larrea attended the international seminary "Building bridges, Ecuador-Colombia" in Quito, which will end on Tuesday.

Larrea said that the mission of observers from other countries could help to restore the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Noting that the proposal must be a "bilateral agreement," Larrea said there was not any contact with Colombia about the issue at the moment.

The mission of observers from five countries will be in charge of "verifying event on the border" of Ecuador and Colombia.