Ecuador Refuses To
Resume Diplomatic Ties
With Colombia
Ecuador will not resume
diplomatic ties with
Colombia after the
latter decided to
postpone renewal of
relations, Ecuadorian
Foreign Minister Maria
Isabel Salvador said
Tuesday.
"They have talked about
postponing the decision,
we have made the
decision not to resume
relations with
Colombia," Salvador told
reporters without saying
how long the rupture
will last.
"If the situation does
not improve," especially
Colombia's stance
towards Ecuador, "we do
not rule out the
eventual possibility of
imposing trade
restrictions," Salvador
added.
The Colombian government
decided to postpone the
reestablishment of
diplomatic ties with
Ecuador because of
"aggressive" remarks by
Ecuadoran President
Rafael Correa in a
recent newspaper
interview.
Correa told Pagina 12
that for a full
re-establishment of
ties, his government
would demand that the
Colombian attack "be
fully clarified," and
said that "the bombs
(used) were American."
Correa and his Colombian
counterpart Alvaro Uribe
agreed two weeks ago to
re-establish ties this
week at the trade
attache level, a step
toward normalizing
diplomatic relations
severed in March after
the Colombian military
entered Ecuador's
territory to chase
Colombian rebels.
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