The Colombian government reached a historic agreement Sunday with leftist FARC guerillas to de-escalate the decades-long armed conflict, diplomats in Havana said.

"The national government, from July 20, will launch a process of de-escalation of military action, in response to the suspension of offensive actions by the FARC," said a joint statement read by Cuban and Norwegian diplomats, who have been mediating in peace talks that began in November 2012.