British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday reiterated his support for the peace talks between the Colombian government and rebel group FARC, during a meeting with Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos.
Santos held a 30-minute meeting with Cameron at the prime minister’s residence in London, where the two leaders reviewed the bilateral agenda, economic cooperation and poverty policies as well as the Havana peace process.
“The prime minister gave his support to the negotiating process and told me that we would have to persevere because it was not easy and in the case of the United Kingdom they managed peace with a great deal of perseverance,” the Colombian head of state told press after the meeting.
Santos also thanked Cameron for his support on Colombia’s invitation to join the OECD and said that in just two years, the two nations had exceeded a five-year export target.
MORE: OECD invites Colombia to begin membership talks
The British Embassy in Colombia released a statement on Thursday to welcome the approval of the Latin American nation’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, which is expected to commence in September this year. The agreement between Colombia and the EU was passed in Colombian congress on Tuesday.
“The FTA represents a significant milestone for the strengthening of the relationship of trade and investment between the United Kingdom and Colombia, which will bring benefits to our citizens,” said Ambassador Tony Regan.
The president’s visit to London is part of a tour of the United Kingdom and the Middle East. Santos will continue his agenda in the UK with a talk on overcoming poverty at University of Oxford and a meeting with the Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen.
Sources
- Colombia debe perseverar en busca de la paz: David Cameron (Radio Caracol)
- Santos anunció respaldo de Inglaterra al proceso de paz (El Espectador)
- Gobierno Británico da la bienvenida a la aprobación del TLC entre UE y Colombia (Press Release, UK Embassy in Colombia)
- Primer Ministro de Gran Bretaña expresa su respaldo al proceso de paz