Colombian envoy: Azerbaijan is friendly country with great potential

Report presents an interview with Ambassador of Colombia to Azerbaijan Luis Antonio Dimate Cardenas

- How do you assess the relations between Azerbaijan and Colombia?

- We have very close relations with Azerbaijan. These are friendly relations based on mutual respect, confidence and cooperation. In 2019 we celebrated the 25th years of anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations with Colombia. Azerbaijan at the beginning of 2014 opened our embassy in Baku, also Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Bogota. In 2019 President of Colombia Ivan Duque Marquez decided to open the representation of our diplomatic mission here in Baku. As the first ambassador of Colombia to Azerbaijan I am very happy to work very hard to strengthen relations between two countries. We have positive political dialogue and bilateral mechanism of consultations. Also, we are working very hard in the area of cultural connection. Our countries located quite far away so we had to work very hard in order to let the people of both countries get together and we are working in this area too. We have programs of Spanish course for civil servants from Azerbaijan. This is a bilateral program between the Foreign Ministry of Colombia and Azerbaijan. In addition, our Embassy took part in the international book fair in Baku. Also, we are looking for opportunities to strengthen the cooperation in security issues.

- In what spheres of economy do Azerbaijan and Colombia cooperate? What is the level of trade between the two countries? Do you plan to open a Colombia trading house in Baku?

- We are working hard on the economic trade and tourist promotion. We think that both countries have the great potential. Unfortunately figures of trade don’t show all the potential of the economic and trade possibilities. We are planning to organize special events in order to give the opportunity to our entrepreneurs from Colombia and Azerbaijan to get together. I want to highlight that one of the main purposes of our mission here is to strengthen the economic relations with Azerbaijan. We see Azerbaijan as a friendly country with the great potential. It’s all because geolocation, it is role in terms of regional transport communication, infrastructure, also human potential and high energy wealth. We have lots of opportunities here not only for Colombia, but for all pacific alliance countries. By our side the world known Colombian coffee has a lot of opportunities here in Azerbaijan. We took part in international tea and coffee threads of Baku two years ago and it was an amazing event promoting the Colombian coffee. We are also promoting the market of beautiful Colombian flowers in Baku and delicious fruits from Colombia.

- The office of the Pacific Alliance has opened in Baku. What are the prospects for development in this direction, especially between the countries of Pacific Alliance and Azerbaijan? How would you define the role of Azerbaijan as an observer in the Pacific Alliance?

- The embassy of Colombia, Mexico and Chile were opened in the framework the pacific alliance agreements that allow us to share premises. Since we opened the embassy in 2014, we have been working here, sharing these premises. We try to cooperate to join our efforts to improve relations with Azerbaijan. That was the idea of having commonly space for all states of alliance here in Baku. We have this office to organize different kinds of events to develop relations in all fields.

As you know, the pacific alliance was established in 2011 by Chili Colombia Mexico and Peru with purpose of building an economic and international bloc aimed at creating a deep integration area on the basis of free movement of goods and services, people and capital, also to promote the economic growth, therefore competitiveness of our nations. One special area of our agenda is to strengthen relations with our partners. We have six associated member candidates to become full members of the pacific alliance, but also, we have 59 observe countries, one of them is Azerbaijan from July 2019. We work with the foreign ministry of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan authorities accompanying them to identify those areas and concrete projects in which we can establish the relations between the members of pacific alliance and Azerbaijan. Our vision on this direction is optimistic, it will be a very important tool in order to work in this direction.

- How are intercultural relations developing between countries? What activities are planned to build a cultural bridge between Azerbaijan and Colombia?

- One of the purposes of this room of pacific alliance here is to have a special space to organize events maybe weekly or monthly. This room will become a center of cultural promotion of all members of Pacific Alliance. As a Colombian Embassy we want to organize a film festival, dance performance and meeting with the representatives of culture or academic sector. Organizing these kinds of events is the main objective of our agenda.