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Iván Duque, President of Colombia, inaugurated a commercial office in Jerusalem, an extension of the country's embassy in Tel Aviv.
"Colombia is a true friend of Israel. Governments make alliances, but it is people who build bridges," said Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Hacohen, during the inauguration of the offices of iNNpulsa Colombia, the Colombian innovation agency, in Jerusalem.
Colombian President Duque referred to Colombia's growing economy and the role of his country's new office in Israel during the ceremony.
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The gesture by Colombia is a tacit recognition of the capital of Jerusalem, which is opposed by most of the international community, as the Palestinians claim its eastern part as the capital of the future Palestinian state.
In addition, Duque welcomed the proposal made by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, to support a project that seeks to prevent Iranian nuclear development, for which he called for the de-escalation of nuclear threats on the planet.
"We have to be clear that no nation can have uranium enrichment projects that could lead to becoming an armed threat that threatens world peace," Duque said in Jerusalem.
Colombian President Iván Duque and his top ministers are headed to occupied Jerusalem to pay homage to apartheid. Just the latest chapter in decades of genocidal collaboration between Israel and “the Israel of Latin America.” https://t.co/T95EqeH3bI https://t.co/swrV5J54Ko
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) November 7, 2021
"I have always been and will always be a friend of de-escalation and the elimination of nuclear threats on the planet. I also believe that within the Atomic Energy Agency this is a debate that must be clearly held for the peace of the world and the Middle East," he added.
Colombia is a member of the board of directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is why President Herzog said on Monday that he trusts that Colombia's presence in this organization will "help" in the fight against Iran's nuclear plan.
The Colombian president's statements come after Colombia's Defense Minister Diego Molano, who is accompanying Duque to Israel on November 8, said that Iran is a "common enemy," despite the fact that the two countries have maintained diplomatic relations for decades.
Colombia and Iran established bilateral relations in 1975 and currently have agreements in force, according to the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
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