Colombia’s ambassador to Washington on Wednesday said that his country should not be “obsessed” by the approval of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States.
In an interview with French news agency AFP, Ambassador Gabriel Silva said that “Colombia cannot be obsessed with it. The obsession of our diplomatic corps cannot be that which weakens us. We can’t continue to be obsessed with something for which we have done everything we could.”
Silva added that “the problem for the United States as a whole is that this country is pushing itself to the margin while Colombia progresses firmly in free trade and its investment relations with Europe and Asia.”
The ambassador warned the U.S. would lose “a lot” by not approving the agremeent soon.
In October, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos anncouned Colombia wanted to broaden the relationship between the United States and Colombia, but that the FTA remained a priority.
The FTA was signed in 2006 by Colombia and the U.S. However, the bill is still awaiting ratification by the U.S. Congress amid reservations by the Democratic majority over labor and human rights issues in Colombia.