Bogotá, March 30 (RHC-Telesur)-- The government of Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos and the country’s second-largest rebel group—the National Liberation Army (ELN—have announced that they will begin official peace talks.

The announcement took place after the guerrilla group freed two hostages to meet a government condition for the start of formal peace talks.

During a joint press conference Wednesday, Frank Pearl, who serves as the Colombian government's top delegate for the on-going peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), outlined the key aspects of negotiation between the ELN and the Colombian government, which will include six major points. He then mentioned participation of society, peace through democracy, transformations necessary for peace, the rights of victims, the end of the armed conflict, and the implementation and signature of the final peace agreement.

Pearl also confirmed that Cuba, Norway, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and Ecuador will act as guarantor countries.