Honduras ousted leader Zelaya signs deal for return

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Manuel Zelaya returns to HondurasFormer Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted from power and forced into exile in 2009, has signed an agreement with his successor, Porfirio Lobo, which will allow him to return to the country.

The accord also paves the way for Honduras' re-entry into the Organisation of American States (OAS). Honduras was expelled from the OAS after Mr Zelaya was removed from power.The accord was negotiated by the Colombian and Venezuelan presidents.

Mr Zelaya and Mr Lobo smiled and shook hands as they signed the agreement in the Colombian city of Cartagena.

Not many details are known of the accord so far, but Colombian President Juan Manuel Santo said on his Twitter account that it "implies the return of Zelaya to Honduras and its return to the OAS".

And Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, speaking from Venezuela where he is recovering from a knee injury, said his country would be monitoring the accord's implementation very closely.

Mr Lobo said he was "very happy to be signing a document which will permit us to normalise relations between Honduras and all American countries."

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