MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia-Venezuela is officially over.

Colombia and Venezuela announced in an agreed statement that the crisis over the capture of a guerrilla commander is over and anticipated a presidential summit for next February 3.

The diplomatic crisis was triggered by the abduction last December in Caracas of guerrilla leader Rodrigo Granda. The operation was undertaken by bounty hunters who "delivered" Mr. Granda in the Colombian city of Cucuta.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez described the operation as a violation of his country's sovereignty and was furious because Venezuelan military were also involved. President Chavez cut off commercial links, suspended a 200 million US dollars gas pipeline project and withdrew its ambassador from Colombia demanding an official apology from President Alvaro Uribe.

The Colombian government initially denied the claim but later admitted having paid bounty hunters. The statement from the Colombian presidential palace did not include an apology as such but a guarantee that the incident would not be repeated.

"In its fight against terrorism and in the execution of its democratic security policy, Colombia applies and will continue to apply existing legal procedures, according to its rule of the law tradition", reads the communiqué adding that when anti terrorism policy demands the participation of other countries, particularly brothers and neighbours, Colombia "will continue to look for coordination with their governments according to principles and norms which guide police and judicial cooperation".

The Colombian government is prepared to review recent and well known events, "so that if they have been inconvenient for the Republic of Venezuela, they will not be repeated".

Further on the release says both countries express their willingness to advance in a bi-national strategy against terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, kidnapping and other crimes. This strategy will be defined according to current mechanisms or those to be defined by both governments, always respecting strict legal procedures and particularly the sovereignty of both countries.

President Uribe administration has repeatedly claimed that Venezuela acts as a sanctuary for Colombian guerrillas. Venezuelan vicepresident Jose Vicente Rangel from Caracas stated that the way the "impasse" was overcome is evidence that both countries have the capacity to solve difficult situations.

But he also blamed United States for interfering and acting as a "provocateur".

In the middle of the incident Washington asked Latinamerican countries to put pressure on Venezuela to end its relation with the Colombian guerrilla movement and incoming Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described President Chavez as a "negative force" for the region.

The Venezuelan government thanked several countries for their efforts in solving the crisis mentioning Peru and Brazil, but also Argentina, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic and OAS.