US President Barack Obama will meet his counterpart from Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, on Saturday in Panama where both will be attending the 7th Americas Summit.
According to the Colombian Foreign Minister, Obama and Santos will meet to discuss ongoing efforts in Colombia to make peace between rebel groups FARC and ELN, and the state.
The FARC and government delegates have been engaged in formal peace talks since November 2012, while exploratory talks with the ELN are ongoing to see if the country’s second largest rebel group is also willing to formal enter peace talks.
Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin met with her counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, and told Blu Radio early Friday morning about the meeting set to take place in Panama City on Saturday.
According to the radio station, both leaders will try to get support for the peace talks in the Summit’s final statement.
Colombia has long been Washington’s staunchest ally in the region and received billions of dollars in the first decade of this century to combat drug trafficking and leftist rebel groups involved in this drug trade.
Obama has repeatedly expressed his administration’s support for the talks and appointed a special envoy to secure Washington’s involvement in the talks and the peace process that would take place once the warring parties sign peace.