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WASHINGTON --

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis met with Colombia’s defense minister yesterday in Bogota to reaffirm the long-standing defense relationship between the United States and Colombia, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said.

In a statement summarizing the meeting, White said the secretary met with Defense Minister Guillermo Botero.

“The leaders discussed a broad range of defense issues, and the secretary thanked the minister for their country’s regional leadership role as a security exporter,” White said.

The secretary also thanked Colombia for its work regionally to denounce undemocratic actions – especially those in Venezuela and Nicaragua, White said.

The leaders agreed to work together to achieve mutual strategic objectives to address regional challenges, she said.