Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin met with her French counterpart in Paris on Monday to discuss economic relations and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries.
The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “economically, our exchanges have been continuously growing for several years. France, whose companies are the first foreign employer in Colombia, wants to increase its presence.”
The ministry said that the opportunities for bilateral relations with Colombia were “very positive.” It also stated that Colombia’s appointment to the United Nations Security Council “should allow steady strengthening of political dialogue” between the two countries.
The two ministers discussed Colombia’s bid to join the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Holguin met with Bernard Kouchner in part as a precursor to a planned meeting between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, which will take place in the first half of 2011.