ID :
12285
Sat, 07/12/2008 - 12:08
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/12285
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Venezuela, Colombia mend relations
MEXICO CITY, July 12 (Itar-Tass) - The presidents of Venezuela andColombia, Hugo Chavez and Alvaro Uribe, on Friday announced a new stage in bilateral relations. Their statement meant that the two countries have overcome a diplomatic crisis that has continued for the past eight months.
Chavez and Uribe, who gave a news conference after a more than three-hour-long meeting behind the closed doors, said it had been fresh and positive. "Today marks the beginning of a new stage in Colombian-Venezuelan relations. We have made a decision to once againembark on the path of a constructive dialogue," the president of Venezuela said. His Colombian counterpart added that the foreign ministries and the embassies of the two countries will begin to dynamically make up for lost time.
A crisis in relations between the neighbouring countries broke outlate in November 2007, when Uribe said the Venezuelan leader had stopped being an official mediator between Bogota and the left-extremist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the issue of setting free hostages they held.
Tensions culminated in March, after planes of Colombian Air Forceattacked a FARC camp on the territory of Ecuador. Chavez qualified that as "a violation of sovereignty" and sent ten battalions to the border with Colombia. Besides, as a result of the incident, the two countries recalled their ambassadors.
The two presidents said in Paraguana, Venezuela, that they were resuming the implementation of some economic, social and culturalprojects, as well as activities on fight against drug mafia. The sides, the amount of trade between which is about six billion dollars, will renew a project for the construction of a gas pipeline.
Besides, Alvaro Uribe expressed a bid to restore relations withEcuador, stopped after the bombing of the FARC camp. Hugo Chavez, for his part, offered to act as a mediator in the reconciliation between Bogota and Quito.
Chavez and Uribe, who gave a news conference after a more than three-hour-long meeting behind the closed doors, said it had been fresh and positive. "Today marks the beginning of a new stage in Colombian-Venezuelan relations. We have made a decision to once againembark on the path of a constructive dialogue," the president of Venezuela said. His Colombian counterpart added that the foreign ministries and the embassies of the two countries will begin to dynamically make up for lost time.
A crisis in relations between the neighbouring countries broke outlate in November 2007, when Uribe said the Venezuelan leader had stopped being an official mediator between Bogota and the left-extremist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the issue of setting free hostages they held.
Tensions culminated in March, after planes of Colombian Air Forceattacked a FARC camp on the territory of Ecuador. Chavez qualified that as "a violation of sovereignty" and sent ten battalions to the border with Colombia. Besides, as a result of the incident, the two countries recalled their ambassadors.
The two presidents said in Paraguana, Venezuela, that they were resuming the implementation of some economic, social and culturalprojects, as well as activities on fight against drug mafia. The sides, the amount of trade between which is about six billion dollars, will renew a project for the construction of a gas pipeline.
Besides, Alvaro Uribe expressed a bid to restore relations withEcuador, stopped after the bombing of the FARC camp. Hugo Chavez, for his part, offered to act as a mediator in the reconciliation between Bogota and Quito.
