International media reported that the Foreign Ministers of Colombia, Alvaro Leyva, and Venezuela, Ivan Gil, established last Friday the Committee for Good Neighborliness and Integration between the two countries.
The agency said that the officials classified what happened as a “historic day”, not only because it represented another step in restoring relations between the two countries, but also because of the first visit by a Venezuelan foreign minister in more than five years. . EFE.
Through this case, the two countries will seek to enhance cooperation and common development in the border areas, after re-launching political, diplomatic, trade and economic relations last August with the arrival of Gustavo Petro to the presidency.
📰 # It’s news | The Foreign Ministers of Venezuela and Colombia establish the Good Neighborhood and Integration Committee in Bogota (+ details) 👇https://t.co/L5vu8YOulG#ForoDeSãoPauloIsIntegration pic.twitter.com/OTn5rn3fCJ
– Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇻🇪 (CancilleriaVE) June 30, 2023
“What was attempted to prevent by the irrational way of breaking relations cannot separate the two peoples,” Gil said after the official inauguration ceremony from the San Carlos Palace, home of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Once the committee is formed, the Venezuelan foreign minister explained, it will work on issues such as “infrastructure, communications, migration, social and environmental issues, and energy issues, among others.”
Leyva, who visited Caracas on several occasions last year, said that with this step forward they would be able to “return to good neighborly relations and integration” in order to “abandon the mistake” of severing ties between neighbours.
Gil said the Venezuelan government is “very calm and happy to be able to advance various plans aimed at increasing trade and commerce.”
According to the diplomat, this Friday they also signed a declaration stating that “Venezuela will provide all necessary cooperation and support for the work and investigations of people who are supposed to have disappeared at the border, which we know is an important chapter that must be resolved with as soon as possible.”
Taking advantage of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Colombia and Venezuela today in Bogota, the Declaration of Cooperation in the search for persons reported missing at the border with Venezuela was signed. pic.twitter.com/zwle6YWyeD
– Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (CancilleriaCol) June 30, 2023
This is the first time that a high-ranking Venezuelan government official has visited Colombia since the resumption of diplomatic relations. On May 30, the two foreign ministers signed an agreement in Brasilia establishing a “Neighborhood and Integration Commission”.
Using this tool, the two countries agree to review issues of mutual interest in order to form “bi-national technical committees” that will address the needs of the border region.
EFE/OnCuba
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