Upbeat on the prospects of ties normalization, OAS General Secretary Jose Miguel Insulza, currently on a mediation mission to Colombia, refused to reveal details about the proposal.He said it was indiscreet to disclose particulars before the two concerned countries approved the draft.The official reiterated the importance of Colombia and Ecuador exercising restraint and discretion in the process of rebuilding trust.He also welcomed remarks by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on clamping down on Colombian rebels, saying such remarks were conducive to expediting the re-establishment of ties between the two countries.Ecuador broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia on March 3after Colombia’s army attacked a rebel base of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ecuadorian territory on March 1,which killed 26 people.The attack drew strong condemnation from Ecuador, Venezuela and Nicaragua and briefly aroused fears of a war in the Andean region as Ecuador and Venezuela ordered troops to their borders with Colombia.Then, at a Rio Group Summit on March 7, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe apologized to Correa and promised to abstain from similar raids in the future if his neighbors cooperate in the fight against the FARC, resulting in a handshake between the two leaders and a crisis-over declaration from Correa.Later, the OAS foreign ministers meeting on March 17 decided to launch diplomatic efforts to help Colombia and Ecuador normalize ties.Insulza will head on to Ecuador on Friday.
OAS puts up proposal to normalize strained Colombia-Ecuador ties
