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US, Colombia Sign Critical Minerals, Nuclear Pacts in Barranquilla
(MENAFN) The United States and Colombia formalized two strategic partnership agreements Tuesday during a signing ceremony in the coastal city of Barranquilla, attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar.
The first agreement builds a joint framework to safeguard supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth mining and processing. The second lays groundwork for strategic cooperation on civil nuclear energy between the two nations.
Following the ceremony, Rubio lauded De La Espriella as a leader defined by "energy, strength, vision and courage," pointing out that the Colombian president's administration took power amid steep challenges — including recovery from a recent earthquake and what Rubio called an "institutional" crisis stemming from prior leadership that had strained relations between the two countries.
"The last four years have been an aberration between our governments, but that is changing as well," Rubio said.
"We believe we have a lot we can do together in the field of energy, in the field of trade, in the field of commerce that allows both countries to benefit."
The agreements followed a bilateral meeting that kicked off soon after Rubio touched down in Barranquilla, with discussions centering largely on drawing private-sector investment into energy, logistics and transportation projects.
De La Espriella pointed to the choice of venue — away from the capital — as both symbolic and deliberate, reflecting his administration's push to decentralize governance.
"Today, Barranquilla served as the backdrop for a strategic conversation about the present and future of Colombia and our relationship with the United States," he said. "Welcoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio carries special meaning. Barranquilla has historically been Colombia's golden window to the world. It reflects an absolute conviction of my government that Colombia is not governed from Bogota, but from its regions."
The Colombian president also thanked the US for humanitarian aid delivered after the earthquake that recently devastated parts of the country, noting that the disaster response helped lay the groundwork for a deeper strategic partnership.
The talks produced what's being called the "Barranquilla Accords" — a three-pronged bilateral agenda centered on rebuilding infrastructure, speeding economic recovery from the disaster, and strengthening regional security cooperation.
"From this meeting has emerged a roadmap around three major themes of substantial importance for our country and the hemisphere: rebuilding the nation, recovering the economy, and safeguarding the hemisphere," De La Espriella said.
"Another important point is shared prosperity. I have proposed to Mr. Secretary that we consolidate a bilateral prosperity dialogue featuring concrete projects, responsibility, financing and schedules, the work on which our teams will continue in Washington. Together with the Secretary of Energy, we identified opportunities in infrastructure, technology, industry, reconstruction and critical minerals, such as the agreement just signed," he added.
When a reporter asked whether Colombia's push to have US tariffs lifted came up during the talks, Rubio explained that the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down the tariff mechanism originally used by President Donald Trump meant the administration now has to rebuild it through the Section 301 process — a path that requires a bilateral agreement.
"The president of the United States has a desire to reach an agreement with Colombia as soon as possible. Ambassador (Jamieson) Greer has been working with Colombian authorities on that negotiation. I think it's going very well, and I hope to have good news soon in regards to that once such an agreement can be reached," Rubio told reporters.
"I think there's been two rounds of that discussion, and good progress is being made, but obviously no announcement today," he added.
The first agreement builds a joint framework to safeguard supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth mining and processing. The second lays groundwork for strategic cooperation on civil nuclear energy between the two nations.
Following the ceremony, Rubio lauded De La Espriella as a leader defined by "energy, strength, vision and courage," pointing out that the Colombian president's administration took power amid steep challenges — including recovery from a recent earthquake and what Rubio called an "institutional" crisis stemming from prior leadership that had strained relations between the two countries.
"The last four years have been an aberration between our governments, but that is changing as well," Rubio said.
"We believe we have a lot we can do together in the field of energy, in the field of trade, in the field of commerce that allows both countries to benefit."
The agreements followed a bilateral meeting that kicked off soon after Rubio touched down in Barranquilla, with discussions centering largely on drawing private-sector investment into energy, logistics and transportation projects.
De La Espriella pointed to the choice of venue — away from the capital — as both symbolic and deliberate, reflecting his administration's push to decentralize governance.
"Today, Barranquilla served as the backdrop for a strategic conversation about the present and future of Colombia and our relationship with the United States," he said. "Welcoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio carries special meaning. Barranquilla has historically been Colombia's golden window to the world. It reflects an absolute conviction of my government that Colombia is not governed from Bogota, but from its regions."
The Colombian president also thanked the US for humanitarian aid delivered after the earthquake that recently devastated parts of the country, noting that the disaster response helped lay the groundwork for a deeper strategic partnership.
The talks produced what's being called the "Barranquilla Accords" — a three-pronged bilateral agenda centered on rebuilding infrastructure, speeding economic recovery from the disaster, and strengthening regional security cooperation.
"From this meeting has emerged a roadmap around three major themes of substantial importance for our country and the hemisphere: rebuilding the nation, recovering the economy, and safeguarding the hemisphere," De La Espriella said.
"Another important point is shared prosperity. I have proposed to Mr. Secretary that we consolidate a bilateral prosperity dialogue featuring concrete projects, responsibility, financing and schedules, the work on which our teams will continue in Washington. Together with the Secretary of Energy, we identified opportunities in infrastructure, technology, industry, reconstruction and critical minerals, such as the agreement just signed," he added.
When a reporter asked whether Colombia's push to have US tariffs lifted came up during the talks, Rubio explained that the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down the tariff mechanism originally used by President Donald Trump meant the administration now has to rebuild it through the Section 301 process — a path that requires a bilateral agreement.
"The president of the United States has a desire to reach an agreement with Colombia as soon as possible. Ambassador (Jamieson) Greer has been working with Colombian authorities on that negotiation. I think it's going very well, and I hope to have good news soon in regards to that once such an agreement can be reached," Rubio told reporters.
"I think there's been two rounds of that discussion, and good progress is being made, but obviously no announcement today," he added.
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