COLOMBIA: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak meets with President Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota

Record ID: 397397

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak meets with President Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota
  • Date: 19th April 2012
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (APRIL 17, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COLOMBIAN CONGRESS BUILDING COLOMBIAN FLAG EXTERIOR OF CONGRESS BUILDING GENERAL VIEW OF CONGRESS MEMBERS DURING MEETING VARIOUS OF ISRAELI DELEGATION IN CONGRESS ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER EHUD BARAK WALKING TO PODIUM GENERAL VIEW OF MINISTER DURING SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER EHUD B
  • Embargoed: 4th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia, Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3XNO9IHJIKMFBX8MMWW9INDW
  • Story Text: Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak addressed Colombia's members of congress on Tuesday (April 17), talking up close links between the two countries. On tour in the South American country, Barak is looking to build on already strong bilateral ties between the two countries.
    Receiving a warm welcome from a packed congress, the Israeli minister drew comparisons between it's own fight against armed Palestinian groups to Colombia's battle with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
    "That is something that I share with you I think, the love of freedom, the love of democracy, the love of peace but at the same time open eyes, never sway in front of tough reality however tough it is, and ready to give answer, to protect your future, your identity, your security against threats from within or without," said Barak.
    Following his speech to congress, Barak met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for a private meeting. According to local media, the talks touched on joint counter-terrorism efforts and the use of Israeli defence equipment in the South American country.
    Earlier this week, Barak signed a bilateral security treaty with his Colombian counterpart, Juan Carlos Pinzon, with the two nations vowing to work more closely together in military strategies to fight against illegal armed groups.
    Concluding his tour of Colombia, Barak is set to fly to the United States for talks with the U.S Secretary of Defence, Leon Panetta.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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