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Colombian, Venezuelan FMs discuss border crisis in Ecuador

Xinhua, September 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño welcomed to Quito his counterparts from Venezuela and Colombia Saturday, for discussions on the border crisis that has affected both countries since Aug. 19.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and her Colombian counterpart Maria Angela Holguin will meet at the Najas Palace, the seat of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The invitation was extended to the two by Ecuador, which is currently the president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).

Upon arriving in Ecuador, Rodriguez told the press that she had come with "the best of intentions" for this meeting. However, in a Twitter post earlier in the day, Rodriguez said she would defend the rights of Venezuela against the "defamations" made against it.

Patiño told the press Saturday that Rodriguez and Holguin would define mechanisms to resolve the major issues fueling the crisis, ahead of a presidential summit between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

"If they believe that this meeting achieves enough for the presidents to meet, that would be fantastic," said Patiño, acknowledging that heavy ideological differences do need to be overcome.

Patiño and Uruguayan Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa will mediate the dialogue. This is the third time the two ministers have met after encounters on Aug. 23 and 26, neither of which led to any results. Endit