Colombia and Venezuela Enhance Bilateral Ties Through Good Neighborliness Commission
Orinoco Tribune, July 2, 2023 —
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil convened with his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Leyva in Bogota, Colombia, subsequent to the inauguration of the Colombia-Venezuela Good Neighborliness and Integration Commission.
The Good Neighborhood and Integration Commission, established on Friday, June 30, aims to promote the new phase of bilateral relations between Colombia and Venezuela, which commenced in August 2022 following the assumption of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s presidency.
“What we are doing here today is returning to good neighborliness, to integration, putting behind us our earlier mistakes,” Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva emphasized after meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart.
He added that he was proud to be part of remaking history, as Colombia and Venezuela have always been “the same family, the same blood, the same struggle, led by the same Liberator.”
Leyva highlighted the establishment of the Good Neighborliness and Integration Commission as a historic milestone.
“Today the world is experiencing a problem of civilization, of humanity, and today Colombia and Venezuela cannot distance themselves from the reconstruction of peace,” he said.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Gil explained that the binational commission will work on various stages, including infrastructure, communications, migration, social issues, and energy security.
Gil stressed that the relations between Colombia and Venezuela are the relations of the people of the two countries, “and that is the true spirit of our ties.”
At the meeting, the two foreign ministers and their delegations signed several documents consolidating bilateral ties.
In May, the two foreign ministers signed the agreement to create the Colombia-Venezuela Good Neighborliness and Integration Commission during the Summit of Presidents of South American countries held in Brazil that month.
The Commission will operate through Binational Technical Committees to address issues of common interest, including security and defense, transport and mobility, trade and customs affairs, border and infrastructure issues, migration and consular affairs, mines and energy, social and environmental affairs, and telecommunications.
The foreign ministers of both nations will follow up on the suggestions and recommendations put forth by the committees, which will then be submitted to the respective presidents. The presidents will actively pursue endeavors to bolster cooperation and integration between these two sister nations.