Colombian government officials and guerrilla leaders are in Norway for talks with political, business and community leaders.

The visit forms part of a tour of Europe during which the two sides are examining models of economic and social development as a basis for achieving peace in Colombia's long-running civil conflict.

The delegations arrived from Sweden where they said significant progress had been made in creating a climate of confidence. However, the government's chief negotiator, Victor Ricardo, cautioned that the war would not be ended soon, while a senior rebel leader, Raul Reyes, said his organisation was not yet ready to lay down its weapons. The two sides are also planning to visit Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service