BOGOTA - Colombia's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that a group of European lawmakers had formally rejected what they called US government interference in the country's presidential election.

In a statement, the ministry said members of the European Parliament stressed that the role of the international community is to support democratic institutions, not interfere in them.

The lawmakers called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to categorically reject any political, diplomatic, economic or rhetorical attempt to interfere in Colombia's democratic process.

The statement said recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, in which he voiced unconditional support for Abelardo de la Espriella, a candidate holding dual Colombian-US citizenship, and defamed his rival, Ivan Cepeda, had a negative impact and violated basic principles of international law.

"The principles of self-determination, national sovereignty, and non-interference are cornerstones of international law and must be upheld without exception," the lawmakers said, adding that those principles apply to all countries, regardless of political orientation or strategic importance.

They also noted that Colombia is at a crucial stage in implementing its peace agreement with the former FARC guerrilla group, a reconciliation process which they said should not be clouded by political conditions in Colombia-US relations.

"Any external attempt to influence the outcome of its elections risks further destabilizing an already fragile context," they said.