Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has sought, since his election in 2022, to negotiate the disarmament and demobilisation of various groups in the Latin American nation, the world's largest producer of cocaine.

Last month Petro announced fresh talks with the Clan del Golfo, which has origins in right-wing paramilitary organisations and calls itself the Gaitanista Army of Colombia.

The group of 7,500 members poses one of the main security challenges faced by the country's leftist government and is responsible for shipping hundreds of tons of cocaine annually to the United States and Europe, according to Colombian military intelligence.

Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement the round had been hosted at the request of the Colombian government from September 14-18 with the "aim of advancing reconciliation and finding sustainable solutions to the chronic challenges posed by armed groups".

It added that the talks had included "disarmament and peace building", adding that "both parties have agreed to hold a subsequent round of talks in Doha at a further date," without elaborating on when those discussions would take place.

The Clan del Golfo considers itself a political group and demands to be recognised as such, in part, to receive judicial treatment similar to that of guerrillas and paramilitary squads.

It is the largest illegal armed group in Colombia, following the historic peace agreement with the now-defunct FARC guerrilla group in 2016.