A senior aide of Barack Obama called Colombia a “very good partner” to the U.S., in an interview with W Radio ahead of the president’s planned visit next year.
Dan Restrepo, special assistant to the president and Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council, said ties between the two countries “have been growing” and that “further deepening the relationship would be good for everyone”.
The White House representative also commented on the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries recently ratified by the U.S. after years of negotiations. Restrepo said both sides were “working hard” on implementing it and that things were “going well”.
On the topic of drug legalization, Restrepo said the U.S. government viewed the issue a “little differently” to Colombian President Santos, who recently called for discussion on the issue. However he acknowledged the countries “shared responsibility” regarding drug and illegal arms trafficking.
President Obama will visit Colombia next year for the 6th Summit of the Americas, a gathering of the heads of state and government of the western hemisphere, to be held in Colombia’s coastal city of Cartagena in April.