Colombia's new president calls on Venezuela, Ecuador to improve ties
06:59 08/08/2010 MEXICO, August 8 (RIA Novosti) - At his inauguration ceremony, Colombia's recently elected president Juan Manuel Santos called on Venezuela and Ecuador to normalize relations which became strained under his predecessor.
"One of my priorities in foreign affairs is to restore neighborly relations with Venezuela and Ecuador on the basis of trust and reason," Santos said.
The ceremony, held at Bogota's central square, was attended by over 5,000 foreign guests from 80 countries. Heads of states and governments of 17 states, including Ecuador, were present. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez did not attend.
Relations between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela have been tense since Colombian troops attacked a FARC camp in Ecuador last year. As many as 24 guerrillas, including a senior commander of the FARC, were killed in the raid.
Following a brief thaw, Chavez severed diplomatic ties with Colombia in late July after Bogota claimed that Caracas is helping leftist militants and produced photographs of alleged Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) camps in Venezuela.
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