Russian President congratulates his Colombian counterpart on his inauguration

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message to his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe Velez on the occasion of his inauguration. This information has been disclosed by the presidential press service.

In particular, the document reads that "we are highly satisfied with the fact that Russia and Colombia have chosen the path of speeding up the pace of bilateral cooperation based on the positive experience the sides have obtained. The successful cooperation between our countries on the international arena rests on the fact that our positions concerning key issues on the international agenda are either very close or even coincide. Over the past few years, the bilateral goods turnover has been rising, and the sides are continuing to search for new forms of trade and economic relations and are increasing the pace of cultural and educational exchange." "We are determined to pursue the policy of improving the whole range of friendly relations between Russia and Colombia. We also expect to continue our energetic cooperation to fight new challenges of our epoch, such as international terrorism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking," the address reads.

"We totally support the path the democratically elected leadership has chosen to put an end to the long-lasting armed conflict in the country. We are always willing to render all possible assistance as part of international efforts targeted at settling the conflict," the document concludes.