United States Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, along with other U.S. officials, will arrive in Bogota on October 25 for talks with Colombian officials.
“The idea is to transform the actual relationship into one of a more ambitious character,” Washington diplomatic sources told Semana.
Topics of discussion will include the relationship between the two countries, Plan Colombia, and the pending bilateral free trade agreement.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has made modifying relations with the U.S. a priority, as have his ambassador to the U.S. Gabriel Silva and Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin. The Colombian government wants to expand dialogue with the U.S. over diplomatic topics that cover a wider range of issues than just U.S. aid to Colombia and the pending free trade agreement between the two countries, said Semana.