UNITED NATIONS, March 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed the announcement of the launching of peace talks between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), the second largest guerrilla group in the Latin American country.

Earlier on Wednesday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the government will hold formal peace talks in Quito, Ecuador with the ELN.

At a time when peace talks between the Colombian government and the country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), have entered final stage, and "today's announcement marks another important step that reinforces the Colombian people's hopes for sustainable peace," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

"The secretary-general salutes the efforts of the countries supporting the peace process in Colombia as guarantors and accompanying nations," said the statement. "He reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue providing its support to the peace process."

The Colombian government began its peace talks with the FARC in Havana, Cuba since November 2012. Officials are negotiating on a peace deal.

The ELN has existed in Colombia since 1964. Peace talks with these two guerrilla groups are seeking to end the five-decade-long conflict in the Latin American country.