The Defense Minister, Celso Amorim, and his Colombian counterpart, Juan Carlos Pinzón, announced new measures to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries yesterday (May 2) in Bogota, Colombia, with emphasis on protecting a common asset: the Amazon.

The two Ministers met in the Colombian capital to discuss military cooperation, regional integration and the defense sector industry, among other issues. The meeting was held on the eve of a meeting of UNASUL scheduled to take place this Thursday and Friday in Cartagena, also in Colombia.

During the bilateral meeting Brazil and Colombia pledged to create, possibly together with Peru, an integrated center for exchange of regional information - with a focus on intelligence data - to be accessed by the Armed Forces of the three countries. They also confirmed a tripartite meeting between Military Heads of Staff to be held on May 29 and 30.

Celso Amorim and Juan Carlos Pinzón also proposed that a conference shall be held in Manaus (State of Amazonas) between the Ministers of Defense of the Amazon Pact, in order to undertake an analysis of prospects and to share views on regional security.

"The more we work together (in defense of the Amazon), the better", Amorim told reporters after the meeting. "Together, we have a great common heritage. And it is inherently very vulnerable". According to Amorim the Defense Ministers can also act through mechanisms that already exist, such as the Amazon Cooperation Treaty.

 

Source:

Ministry of Defense