Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos will speak with the prime minister of Israel Wednesday in order to discuss the conclusions of his meeting with the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Maria Angela Holguin, told Colombian media that Santos hopes to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday or later this week.
According to Holguin, Santos told Abbas that he had previously spoken briefly with Natenyahu regarding his meeting with the Palestinian president. Abbas allegedly responded that he fully trusted in the Colombian president and would be grateful for any assistance that Colombia could offer in resuming dialogue with Israel.
The announcement comes after a meeting between Santos and the Palestinian president Tuesday. Abbas arrived in Colombia Monday as part of a tour of Latin American nations in which the leader was seeking support for his people’s bid to have Palestine recognized as a state by the United Nations.
Holguin announced that the communication between Santos and the Netanyahu would be the second communication between the two leaders this week.
Colombia, a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has so far refused to recognize Palestine as a state in line with its traditional allies, the U.S. and Israel.