Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said Thursday that the meeting with her Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, which is ongoing, has begun “a new era” in relations between the neighboring countries
Holguin and Maduro are meeting in the border city of Cucuta and have discussed ways to enhance Colombian-Venezuelan cooperation. The Colombian minister said her country has “a commitment to the strength and stability of the relationship.” She added, “Our view is long term but our actions are immediate.”
Maduro said Venezuela “will continue taking firm steps in this stage of integration and cooperation between Colombia and Venezuela.”
The foreign ministers and other officials are meeting as part of recent efforts to re-establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez broke off relations with Colombia in July after the government of President Alvaro Uribe accused Venezuela of accommodating Colombian guerrillas within its borders before the Organization of American States.