Bolivia keen to normalize ties with U.S.

Bolivian President Evo Morales on Monday said he was keen to mend broken relations and reestablish ties with the United States, based on mutual respect.

The president told reporters at a press conference in La Paz that U.S. President Barack Obama signaled the same willingness by sending a high-level delegation to his second-term inauguration scheduled for this Thursday.

"I welcome President Obama's political disposition to send a special commission to the swearing-in ceremony," Morales said.

In 2008, Bolivia expelled the U.S. ambassador to La Paz for supporting anti-government activity by the country's rightwing factions. In retaliation, Washington expelled the Bolivian ambassador. Both embassies have since been led by their respective business attaches.

That same year, Morales also expelled representatives for the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for interfering in domestic affairs of Bolivia.

"We are very interested in restoring our ambassadors, the only thing we ask for is respect," said Morales.

Bolivian Foreign Affairs Minister David Choquehuanca has also disclosed the two countries have been working to forge new ties based on an equal footing.

In 2011, the two governments signed a framework agreement to reestablish ties, setting up a binational commission to work on the matter.

Morales, who came to power since 2006, was reelected in a landslide victory in October to a third five-year term (2015-2020). Endite