He President Gustavo Petroand the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Thaniagreed this Wednesday in Bogotá to advance in the negotiations to a comprehensive economic partnership agreementofficial sources reported.
Al Thani was received with military honors at the Casa de Nariño, in a ceremony in which Petro and a good part of his cabinet participated, including the vice president Francia Márquez; Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Luis Carlos Reyes.
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They then had a private meeting and published a joint statement, in which they noted that “agreed to advance negotiations towards a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA)“.
“Colombia presented a roadmap for discussions, based on initial conversations held during COP28 in Dubai in December 2023. To improve trade and investment relations, both countries decided to establish a dialogue between Colombia’s National Tax and Customs Directorate (Dian) and its Qatari counterpart with the aim of strengthening collaboration on tax and customs matters“they added in the statement.
The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and President Gustavo Petro
During this visit, The parties signed a memorandum of understanding on economic, commercial and technical cooperation with whom they search “facilitate joint initiatives and encourage exchange between business leaders and chambers of commerce“.
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“Additionally, Memorandums of Understanding were signed in the fields of tourism, ports, sports and news exchange, further strengthening ties in various sectors. Colombia also expressed its interest in developing programs to support initiatives in health and education, especially in remote and conflict-affected regions.“, they pointed out.
Qatar also celebrated that Colombia plans to open an embassy in Doha.
Gaza war
The Qatari emir and the Colombian president also discussed the need for a “permanent and sustainable cessation of hostilities, compliance with international law and humanitarian principles in armed conflicts, the release of hostages and the relief of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza“.
Petro has shown himself to be a fervent defender of the Palestinian cause and has been very critical of Israel.
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Taste.
Colombia announced the severance of relations with Israel, which became effective on May 2, due to its opposition to that country’s actions in the Gaza Strip and has also prohibited the purchase of weapons from this Middle Eastern country.
In that sense, the statement highlighted that Qatar “expressed gratitude for Colombia’s continued support for the two-state solution and its stance against illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories“.
EFE
