MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Correa and Chavez friendlier towards Colombian president-elect Santos

Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa said he would attend to the inauguration ceremony in Bogotá if invited

Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos has invited Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez to attend his inauguration in August, local media reported in a possible sign of warming ties between the neighbours.

Strained relations with Andean neighbours -- including a spat with Ecuador over a 2008 raid on leftist rebels, and frayed ties with Venezuela that have hurt trade -- are the top foreign policy challenges facing Santos, who takes over from incumbent leader Alvaro Uribe in August.

“I'm very pleased with the statements of President Chávez. I hope he can also attend,” Santos was quoted as saying from London in a Colombian newspaper. Santos was responding to a statement by Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa that he would attend if invited.

Caracas and Bogota are distanced over a plan to allow Washington more access to Colombian bases to help combat drug runners and leftist guerrillas.

The Venezuelan leader said last week he would shake Santos' hand, but also asked the former Colombian defence minister to respect Caracas. Chávez has also called on Santos to end US access to Colombian bases.

Chávez sees Colombia's close relations with the United States as a direct threat to his government.

When asked by reporters about Chávez's possible attendance at the inauguration, Uribe said he hoped it would not just be for the sake of appearances and the ‘official photo’, but for better ties.

“This topic should not be about cosmetics or appearances, what is needed here is a commitment,” he said. “Colombian diplomacy should not return to hypocritical appearances”.

Santos who is seen as more inclined to negotiations than hard liner Uribe, has named a former ambassador to Venezuela as foreign minister, a move that may be a step toward easing tensions.