Ecuadorian Official Highlights Links with Colombia

Ecuadorian Defense Minister Javier Ponce highlighted in this capital on thursday the good moment relations between his country and Colombia are going through, which is reflected in security-related issues.

Ponce arrived on Thursday in Bogota accompanied by the security coordinator, Rear Admiral Homero Arellano, and the chief of the Armed Forces, Gen. Luis Ernesto Gonzalez, among other high-ranking officers.

"I think we have overcome that first stage of re-establishment of relations to advance towards a clear, fruitful stage of strengthening our relations," he told journalists.

Arellano described as very positive the meeting that started today in Villa de Leyva, in Boyacá department, recognized as a national monument in 1.954 for preserving its colonial architecture.

These meetings are expected to be translated into efficient measures to step up security in our border in order to improve the life of our peoples, he said.

Arellano also said the meeting is a follow-up on Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos's visit to Quito last December.

In his welcoming speech, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzón highlighted the progress made in cooperation by the two neighboring nations.

Refering to the scheduled meeting, Pinzón said the parties will mainly discuss issues of common interest, as well as security efforts to improve their longstanding bilateral cooperation.

Issues to be discussed include concrete aspects in the struggle against illegal mining, the funding of terrorism and crime, as well as those linked to joint training and work.

The meeting is scheduled to end tomorrow and a press conference will be held about details of issues discussed.

The governments of Ecuador and Colombia are trying to make their relations more dynamic in the wake of re-establishment of relations in late 2.010.

Diplomatic links between both countries plunged into crisis on March 1, 2.008, when Colombia's military and police forces bombed part of the Ecuadorian bordering territory as part of an operation against FARC guerrillas.

Resulting in the deaths of guerrilla leader Raul Reyes, another 17 FARC members, four Mexican students and one Ecuadorian citizen.

However, Quito and Bogotá have overcome that incident and support better binational integration, including agreements in different areas and the strengthening of the so-called Proximity Commission.