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"Venezuelan and Colombian foreign ministers Yvan Gil and Rosa Villavicencio launched the Neighbourhood and Integration Commission in Caracas on Thursday, which aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in security and trade. Footage shows delegations from both countries meeting at the Casa Amarilla and giving speeches. The event came a day before Colombian President Gustavo Petro's expected visit to Caracas for talks with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez. "[The Commission] represents a fundamental political mechanism for meeting, dialogue, and joint construction. It is the space where we reaffirm that beyond circumstances, there is a firm will to move toward a relationship based on trust, cooperation, and mutual benefit," she said. The commission organised 11 specialised committees to address cross-border issues, mainly focusing on defence and security, trade and energy, infrastructure and social integration. She also highlighted the shared history between the two countries, saying it strengthens ties between their peoples. "Colombia and Venezuela are not just neighbours, they are sister nations, united by history, culture, geography and, above all, their people," she said. Yvan Gil said the commission, created in 2023, aims to bring the two countries closer through dialogue and joint work, amid what he described as a complex global context marked by conflict. "We are called to be an example of unity for the entire world (...) We must be an example for the world, not an example of dissolution, an example of difference, of confrontation, but the opposite," said the Venezuelan top diplomat. A working session of binational committees is also planned, covering border, consular and migration issues, as well as education, culture, the environment, health, trade and tourism. The commission is due to close on Friday, April 24."
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