The Colombian and Venezuelan foreign ministers on Thursday agreed to invest in their shared border region, and to organize a summit between the countries’ defense ministers focused on drug trafficking and terrorism.
Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin met with her Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro in the Colombian border city Cucuta to continue the process of normalizing relations between the two countries.
Following an eight-hour meeting behind closed doors, the two ministers announced to invest in infrastructure links between the two countries in order to improve trade, and to make social investments in the border region, build public libraries, and organize cultural events.
Colombia and Venezuela also formed two new bilateral commissions, one focused on tourism and one on energy, which will seek to optimize the transport of oil, gas and electricity between the two countries.
The two countries agreed on a meeting between their defense ministers in the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena on October 22 to discuss border security, cross-border drug trafficking, and the incursion of Colombian illegal groups into Venezuelan territory.
Later this month, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will fly to Caracas to meet his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez. The two presidents are expected to finalize deals made between their foreign ministers.