President Juan Manuel Santos told his American counterpart Barack Obama on Wednesday that Colombia will begin contributing troops to United Nations peace missions abroad in the upcoming months, according to local media.
Obama called Santos to discuss Colombia’s military support in UN missions, peace talks in Colombia, and post-conflict work, El Tiempo newspaper reported Wednesday.
According to Colombia’s ambassador to Washington, Colombia is going to contribute a small number of troops to peacekeeping operations. The number of troops will grow when the Colombian conflict is over, should peace negotiations with the FARC, the country’s largest rebel group, end successfully.
After the phone call, both the White House and Colombia’s Presidential Office released statements regarding the 35 minute discussion in which Obama congratulated and thanked Colombia’s president for the troop contribution and the work towards peace in Colombia.
MORE: Colombia and EU working on international peacekeeping cooperation
Sources
- Tropas colombianas apoyarían operaciones de paz de la ONU (El Tiempo)
- Informe sobre la Llamada del Presidente Obama con el Presidente de Colombia Juan Manuel Santos (The White House)
- Obama reitera absoluto respaldo al proceso de paz y al posconflicto (Colombia’s Presidency)