Colombia, Venezuela Reestablish Diplomatic Ties After Santos-Chavez Summit

SANTA MARTA, Colombia, Aug. 10, 2010 (Xinhua) --

Colombian and Venezuelan governments agreed Tuesday to reestablish diplomatic relations.

The agreement was reached between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez after a long meeting in Santa Marta, a Colombian city on the Caribbean coast.

"We are here seeking the re-establishment of relations between two sister countries," Santos told reporters before the summit.

"We shall begin patiently to rebuild what was torn apart," said Chavez.

Both presidents told a post-summit conference that they also agreed to create five working commissions to solve the bilateral debt issue, boost commercial ties, reach an economic complementation agreement, develop a working plan for social investment and establish a security mechanism.

Venezuela severed ties with Colombia on July 22, after Bogota accused Caracas of hosting guerilla chiefs in its territory.

However, tensions began to ease as a new government led by Santos took over in Bogota. In a sign of good will, Chavez sent his foreign minister to attend Santos' inauguration ceremony on Saturday. Foreign ministers of the two countries met on Sunday and agreed on the date and location of the summit between the two presidents.

Venezuelan president expresses wish for peace with Colombia

BOGOTA, Aug. 10, 2010 (Xinhua) --

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez arrived on Tuesday in Colombia's Santa Marta city to meet with his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos.

Upon his arrival, Chavez expressed his will "to build peace."

Chavez arrived at the Simon Bolivar airport of Magdalena department, and was welcomed by local authorities.

Chavez said that his meeting with Santos will be "the first and extraordinary," aimed to restore the diplomatic ties.

Chavez said: "We will begin with the will, the love to patiently begin building what was broken, but we have enough resources to build the best ties between Colombia and Venezuela."

On his part, Santos said: "We will do all possible for the ties to be each day more normal. I hope from all my heart this to be good, I ask God and Libertador (Simon Bolivar) to light President Chavez and me, so we can take the right decisions."

The meeting will take place in the San Pedro Alejandrino beach, where Simon Bolivar passed away in 1830.

The Colombian authorities deployed 1,500 police and army troops in Santa Marta to guard the place where the two presidents will meet.

Venezuela broke up its diplomatic ties with Colombia on July 22, after Bogota blamed Caracas for allegedly hosting Colombian guerrilla chiefs in its territory.

Editor: yan

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