After the Departure of "Gustavo Petro".. Israel and Colombia Restore Diplomatic Relations

SadaNews: Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Sa'ar announced that an agreement was reached with the newly appointed Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bola Escobar to resume diplomatic relations between the two countries after more than two years of severance (during the presidency of former president Gustavo Petro).

The agreement came during a meeting held between the two sides in Washington, where they agreed to fully restore relations following the inauguration of the newly elected Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella on August 7.

Former Colombian president Gustavo Petro announced in May 2024 the unilateral severance of diplomatic relations with Israel due to the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, after which the Israeli ambassador was recalled from Bogotá and the Colombian ambassador left Israel.

According to Foreign Minister Sa'ar, both sides agreed to restore diplomatic and economic relations fully, initiate the appointment of ambassadors mutually and immediately, and work towards abolishing visa requirements between the two countries.

In the context of the new agreements, the appointed Colombian Foreign Minister stated that his government intends to open an embassy in Jerusalem, while the Israeli Foreign Ministry has begun the procedures for selecting a new ambassador to Colombia, with expectations of announcing the appointment during the next week.