Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Camila Sarabia Torres began her first diplomatic tour of Asia on Monday, during which she met with her Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya.
Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Camila Sarabia Torres began her first diplomatic trip to Asia on Monday, meeting with her Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Iwaya, during which they discussed the reactivation of talks on an economic partnership agreement between the two countries.
With the goal of continuing to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation, the foreign ministers discussed President Gustavo Petro's intention to visit Japan in 2025, as well as the creation of a working group to review bilateral relations with the aim of seeking mechanisms to elevate relations to the level of a strategic alliance.
The agenda included a meeting with Sachiko Imoto, Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, to secure JICA's continued support for projects in Colombia.
In this space, he highlighted the importance of technical cooperation, which provides knowledge, resources, and experience to efficiently address global challenges.
Colombia and Japan have a cooperative relationship that stretches back 40 years. At the meeting, Sarabia indicated that before leaving office, he will establish a path for cooperation between Colombia and Japan for the next five years. He also highlighted the importance of Japanese assistance in areas such as artificial intelligence, energy transition, and nanotechnology, all in conjunction with social development.
Subsequently, the minister met with representatives of the Colombia-Japan Joint Economic Committee of the Keidanren (Keidanren) to strengthen economic and trade relations with Japan and to promote a meeting of the Colombia-Japan Joint Economic Committee, an important driver of bilateral economic relations for the private sector, providing a forum for discussion of the most important issues on the agenda.
This meeting seeks a fluid political dialogue to strengthen trade ties and develop a rich cooperation agenda in various strategic areas of mutual interest.
"Solidarity is not only between countries but also between sectors. This is key to moving forward," the minister asserted, referring to the importance of public-private partnerships.
