U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit Colombia from April 14 to 15 to strengthen the two nations’ military relationship, and discuss the base-sharing agreement signed between the two countries last year.
Gates is expected to meet with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Defense Minister Gabriel Silva, as well as other government officials.
Gates will be the highest ranking official of the United States to visit Colombia since Barack Obama was elected president in 2008.
This will be the second time that Gates has traveled to Colombia as secretary of defense. The first time was in 2007 when he occupied the same position under then-U.S. President George Bush.
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