MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia’s Santos meets Lula da Silva in his first overseas visit

Regional affairs and bilateral trade figure with priority in the two presidents agenda (File)

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos arrived Tuesday in Brazil for an official two-day state visit that begins Wednesday with a meeting with President Lula da Silva to address a regional political agenda and strengthen bilateral trade.

Santos will be the first leader to be received at the refurbished Planalto Palace, seat of the Executive that underwent 18 months of maintenance and upgrading. He arrived in Brasilia with Foreign Affairs minister Maria Angela Holguin and Sergio Díaz-Granados head of Trade, Industry and Tourism.

Following the analysis of the regional agenda, and the conflicting situation with Venezuela, so far under control, the two leaders will talk about bilateral trade that in 2009 reached 2.7 billion US dollars according to Brazilian sources.

Even when Colombian exports soared 101%, the trade surplus still favours Brazil and one of the purposes of the visit is to try to level the volume of exchange by promoting investment in export companies.

Santos is also scheduled to visit Congress officials, members of the Supreme Court as well as a private meeting with Defence minister Nelson Jobim, an old acquaintance since the time the Colombian leader was Defence minister.

A meeting has also been arranged with Dilma Rousseff the presidential candidate for the ruling coalition, who besides is comfortably leading in public opinion polls for ballot day October 3.

On Thursday in Sao Paulo, Santos interviews Jose Serra, former governor of Sao Paulo and the main opposition presidential contender, and the Green Party presidential candidate Marina Silva who figures with 9% vote intention.

Before concluding his visit Santos meets with the board of the powerful Sao Paulo Federation of Industries, FIESP, where he plans to set the foundations for closer links with Colombian industry.

Colombia has grown steadily since former president Alvaro Uribe took office in 2002 and the country has attracted billions of dollars in investments.

“This is the first overseas visit since taking office and we have chosen Brazil because of the growing significance of the country”, and President Lula da Silva’s insistence in inviting him personally to visit Brazil, admitted Santos.

Minister Holguin described Brazil as “a strategic” partner for Colombia and the event will emphasize political dialogue and promote trade.

Another issue which does not figure in the official agenda released to the media is security along the hundreds of kilometres of common border shared by both countries.

Colombia’s Chief of Joint Staff Admiral Edgar Cely in recent statements said that “border security” is the responsibility of all and anticipated both leaders would agree on a common strategy to end with the “guerrilla corridors”, plus consider technical cooperation and exchanges to improve living conditions for people living in those areas.