Venezuelan President Huge Chavez said relations with Colombia are “going well,” despite differences between the two countries.
Caracol Radio reports that in his weekly television address, Chavez said “I would like to salute the Colombian government. We do have differences, but we need to work together in peace, respecting each other. We are fine with Colombia. Hopefully nothing will happen to change this.”
Chavez said that meetings between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Cucuta on Friday went well. The meeting focused on economic integration and proposals for collaboration to reduce drug trafficking, to consolidate the restoration of relations
In August, Chavez and Santos agreed to restore ties, and planned to hold five meetings focused on security, defense and trade.
Chavez froze ties with Colombia in late 2009, following the signing of a U.S.-Colombian military pact, and blocked trade between the neighbors.
The pact, which would have governed U.S. presence on seven military bases in Colombia, was in August 2010 ruled unconstitutional by the Colombian Constitutional Court.
Before leaving office in August, then-Colombian President Alvaro Uribe accused Venezuela of harboring Colombian guerrillas, and Chavez broke off ties completely.
