Visit of Minister of State for External Affairs
of India to Colombia
India - Colombia
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT
February 05, 2002 - Bogota
At the invitation of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Clemencia Forero, the Minister of State for foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Omar Abdullah, paid an official visit to Colombia from 1-5 February 2002.
During his visit, Minister Omar Abdullah met President Andres Pastrana Arango, with whom he discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. The Minister expressed appreciation for the effort undertaken by the Government of President Pastrana to secure peace in the country.
Minister Omar Abdullah, also held talks with senior Cabinet members of the Colombian government, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, H. E. Dr. Guillermo Fernandez de Soto, and the Minister for External Trade, H. E. Dr. Martha Lucia Ramirez de Rincon.
Minister Omar Abdullah and Vice Minister Forero reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and identified measures for deepening these relations in the political, commercial and economic, technical and scientific, and educational and cultural fields.
Views were also exchanged regarding important multilateral issues such as the reform of the UN Security Council, the situation in Afghanistan, the combat against illicit drugs and terrorism. With respect to terrorism both sides recalled that in the Joint Communiqué issued following the State visit of the President of Colombia to India in March 2001, they had recognised that the global menace of terrorism must be combated vigorously by the entire international community. India and Colombia emphasise that success in this struggle will require international co-operation as well as national commitment. They unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism, whatever the considerations that may be invoked to justify them. Colombia condemned the terrorist attack against the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001 and India condemned the latest terrorist attacks against Colombian's infrastructure and civil society. India and Colombia support the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 1373 of September 2001. Colombia will continue its policy of support for finalisation and early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism proposed by India.
Finally, during the meeting between Minister Omar Abdullah and the Colombian Minister for External Trade, an India -Colombia Joint Business Forum was launched and a US$10 million line of credit agreement between the Exim Bank of India and Bancoldex was concluded.
Bogota, February 5, 2002.
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