Casa de Nariño press secretary Cesar Velasquez said on Sunday that Colombia doesn’t expect diplomatic relations with Ecuador to be re-established immediately after the two nation’s heads of states meet officially today in Cancun.
“In no way is it assumed that the bilateral meeting will lead an immediate re-establishment of relations,” Velasquez explained.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa will meet at a regional summit in Cancun, Mexico this afternoon at 6.30 PM.
This is the first official meeting between the two heads of states since Ecuador broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia on March 1, 2008.
Ties were severed because Ecuador accused the Colombian military of undermining Ecuadorean sovereignty by pursuing FARC leader “Raul Reyes” and other guerrillas over the Ecuadorean border.
Raul Reyes and 26 others, including an Ecuadorean citizen, were killed in the raid.
Uribe will also meet with Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo and new Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla.
Colombia is also reportedly seeking a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” Da Silva.
Correa reiterated last Saturday that his country needs to have all the information concerning Colombia’s 2008 attack before diplomatic relations can fully be restored.