As part of the EU’s priority to strengthen relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, and ahead of the EU-CELAC Summit to be held in Brussels in July this year, EU High Representative and European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell will visit Colombia from April 25-30.
On April 25, HRVP Borrell will represent the European Union at the International Conference on Venezuela to be held in Bogota (broadcast on EbS), starting at approximately 11:00 Bogota time (to be confirmed by the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The European Union is an important partner of Venezuela’s migrant and refugee population in the region, as well as an ally in political dialogue efforts to address the crisis in the neighboring country.
On April 26, ARVP Borrell will meet with Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia. In addition to the international political situation and the Venezuela conference, they will discuss the Colombian government’s peace and environmental initiatives and the support provided by the European Union. A joint press conference will take place afterwards (broadcast on EbS – time to be confirmed).
During his visit, the ARVP will hold several other bilateral meetings, including with Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez, Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva, High Commissioner for Peace Danilo Rueda, Minister of Interior Alfonso Prada, Minister of Defense Ivan Velasquez and Minister of Environment Susana Muhamad. He will also meet with Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, and the leadership of the Colombian Episcopal Conference.
The European Commission proposed a pilot project to strengthen the exchange of information between Europol and Colombia |
In addition to the official meetings, exchanges with representatives of Colombian civil society and visits to a project of the Benposta organization financed by the European Union, which aims to support and empower children and adolescent victims of the conflict, and to a care center for migrant population from Venezuela in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Bogota are planned. He will also visit the exhibition El Testigo in the company of photographer Jesús Abad Colorado and human rights defenders and representatives of victims of the armed conflict.
On April 28, HR/VP Borrell will travel to Cartagena where he will open, together with Vice President of the Republic Francia Marquez, the event “Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe: Recalibrating our strategic partnership“, organized by the European Union and the EU-LAC Foundation, and will deliver a keynote speech on EU-LAC relations (broadcast on EbS) at 16:30 Cartagena time. The meeting will run until Sunday, April 30.
Soruce: Delegation of the European Union to Colombia
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