CARACAS — Colombian President Gustavo Petro arrived in Venezuela on Friday for talks with Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, in the first visit by a foreign head of state to Caracas since January’s dramatic political transition.The meeting marked a significant thaw in bilateral relations as both sides moved to strengthen border security, expand trade ties, and deepen economic cooperation.Petro and Rodriguez focused heavily on security along the two countries’ shared border, where drug trafficking, smuggling, and armed groups remain persistent challenges.Rodriguez said both governments agreed to develop joint military plans and launch immediate intelligence-sharing mechanisms to combat cross-border crime.“Drug trafficking groups should know that we are taking decisive steps to combat these crimes,” Rodriguez said after the meeting.The two sides also finalized the third session of the Colombian-Venezuelan Neighborhood Commission, resulting in at least seven cooperation agreements covering energy, health, environment, and commercial development.A major topic of discussion was boosting regional economic self-sufficiency through import substitution, encouraging both countries to source more products from each other instead of relying on outside markets.Rodriguez said Colombia and Venezuela should build on their productive strengths and reconnect economically.Petro described relations between the neighboring nations as brotherly and stressed the importance of close cooperation.
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