Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is in Madrid this week, where he will attend the 6th annual European Union (EU) – Latin American summit, as well as sign the Colombia – Peru – EU free trade agreement (FTA).
Monday Uribe will attend the conference’s opening ceremony and will be presented with the Inter-Economy Award for “The Most Outstanding Latin American Leader of the Decade,” before dining with the Spanish royal family.
Tuesday Uribe will meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, as well as other heads of State attending the conference.
Bilateral meetings with Danish Prime Minister Lars Kokke Rasmussen, Irish Prime Minister Bryan Cowen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are scheduled in the afternoon.
Wednesday Uribe will sign the FTA, along with the Spanish and Peruvian presidents, as well as the president of the EU and the president of the European Council
Uribe said that the FTA is part of his government’s strategy to move towards unilateral openness and access global markets.
The Colombian president stressed that the agreement contains clauses that seek to protect human rights, workers and the environment.
Colombia finalized negotiations over the FTA, at the end of February, after nine rounds of talks.