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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, will make an official visit to Colombia, Perú and Barbados next week, according to a press release issued by the Colombian embassy in Washington.

Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco announces that Gates will be in Colombia on April 14 and 15, “to strenghten diplomatic ties between the two countries regarding Defense.”

However, the US government has not officially confirmed this information.

According to the Colombian press release, Gates will meet President Alvaro Uribe and Defense Minister Gabriel Silva in Bogota.

The same press release states that Gates will also visit Perú and Barbados, but does not disclose details on the official agenda.

Gates will arrive in the region one day after signing in Washington an agreement with his Brazilian counterpart, Nelson Jobim, to improve bilateral military contacts and to buy new equipments, but this pact “does not include the use of Brazilian military bases,” according to Efe news agency.

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