Russia backs Colombia’s efforts to resolve conflict with rebels - Lavrov

BOGOTA, March 25. /TASS/. Moscow supports the Colombian government’s efforts on promoting the negotiation process with the rebels, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. "We actively support these efforts on resolving the domestic conflict and are sure that our Colombian friends will be able to overcome this lengthy and complex period in the history of the country and reach national consent," Lavrov told reporters after talks with his Colombia’s counterpart Maria Angela Holguin. This year, Russia and Colombia mark the 80th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties. Last July, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos met for the first time on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Brazil. Russia and Colombia are due to discuss on Wednesday the new prospects of developing broad cooperation between the two countries amid the current political and economic environment. Moscow notes that Colombia’s economy has shown good dynamics and last year the country’s GDP reached 4.9 percent. Colombia has taken a step towards joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The country is also seeks to become a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Bogota is also a member of the Latin American trade bloc, the Pacific Alliance. "Russia is interested in establishing contacts with this alliance," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "We always look at the Asia-Pacific region from the Asian point of view, but any ocean has two shores, and we understand that if the moratorium on accession to the APEC is lifted, then there will be certainly a growth /in trade/ with the Latin American countries," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The current trade turnover between Russia and Colombia reaches $375 million per year. "We are working on increasing this figure," the ministry said. Read more