Venezuela and Colombia set up 3rd neighborhood commission meeting to strengthen cooperation

Published at: 23/04/2026 03:23 PM

The Minister of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Yván Gil, together with his counterpart from the Republic of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, set up this Thursday the 3rd Meeting of the Binational Neighborhood and Integration Commission, which aims to strengthen the spirit of brotherhood and advance cooperation initiatives.

From the “Antonio José de Sucre” Yellow House, in Caracas, the Venezuelan diplomat - on behalf of the president in charge Delcy Rodríguez - specified that Venezuela and Colombia, because they have the “same father, the same mother”, are called, through this commission, to move forward in the construction of an inexorable path of union.

“And here the effort that each one of you, colleagues and colleagues, makes is fundamental, because it seeks to resolve, to clear, each and every one of the limitations that we can see in front of us and that threaten that policy of union. In an increasingly complex world, where wars, violence and the inhuman seem to prevail over peace, humanity, and coexistence, we have an absolute responsibility to move forward together on this path. And it has not been and will not be an easy or simple task,” he said.

For Gil, the current geopolitical context invites us to take a giant step with sovereignty and determination to achieve concrete changes.

“We must be an example of the world, not an example of dissolution, not an example of difference, of confrontation, quite the contrary. So I want, on behalf of the Bolivarian Government, on behalf of the president, to thank the Government of President Gustavo Petro, who we know is a defender of the union between Colombia and Venezuela, of the defense of the Gran Colombia project.”

Under the same narrative, the Colombian foreign minister praised the historical ties that unite the parties and said that Caracas, as the birthplace of the Liberator, is a living reminder of this shared heritage, as well as of the struggles that gave rise to the birth of these sister republics.

“In that spirit, the neighborhood and integration commission, created in 2023 by our foreign ministers, represents a fundamental political mechanism for encounter, dialogue and joint construction. It is the space where we reaffirm that, beyond the conjunctures, there is a firm will to move towards a relationship based on trust, cooperation and mutual benefit. Colombia and Venezuela are not just neighboring countries, they are sister nations, united by history, culture, geography and, above all, their peoples, ” he said, referring to the fact that only through “joint work, permanent dialogue and effective cooperation, can we build real paths of well-being, development and integration for our populations, especially those that inhabit our border areas, where integration is not an abstract concept, but an everyday reality”.

The Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of both countries, in the presence of Foreign Ministers Gil and Villavicencio, signed the final minutes of the Second Meeting of the Monitoring Mechanism of the Colombia-Venezuela Neighborhood and Integration Commission.

William Villamizar Laguado, governor of the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia, added that together with his counterpart from the Venezuelan state of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, progress has been made in strengthening integration ties to strengthen cross-border security, being a clear example of the commitment of both countries to work for the development and well-being of their respective peoples.

“We welcome the fact that progress continues to be made in this way, because above our ideologies, the most important thing is that there must be open borders; it is that there must be a brotherhood, a development and, therefore, we propose for some circumstances that help to achieve these objectives,” he said.

He indicated that progress will continue to be made on international bridges so that there is 24-hour service with customs agencies to facilitate trade.

The 3rd Meeting of the Colombia-Venezuela Neighborhood and Integration Commission includes a working session of binational committees that will address border, consular and migration issues; technical cooperation; education and culture; environment and health; trade, industry and tourism; and security and defense.

The closing is scheduled for Friday, April 24, with the reading of the established commitments.

“We want an open border, a peaceful border; we want the development of nations and now that new processes are coming, we hope that Colombia will be the epicenter of the vision of many businessmen to acquire products, goods, services and to be able to achieve that comprehensive exchange and development that both nations need,” he said.

MPPRE