President Moon Jae-in (right) on Aug. 25 shakes hands with Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez at their summit talks hosted by Cheong Wa Dae. (Yonhap News)

By Kim Hyelin and Yoon Hee Young

President Moon Jae-in and Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez in their summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 25 agreed on the comprehensive expansion and development of bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic era.

President Moon suggested development of bilateral cooperation in the public and private sectors in digitalization and the environment, urging President Duque to have his government back the participation of experienced and tech-savvy Korean companies in businesses with digital and eco-friendly infrastructure.

President Duque welcomed such participation, saying he has always admired Korea's development through science and technology and innovation. He also praised Korea's response to COVID-19 and thanked Korean cooperation in quarantine efforts. 

Since Korea hosted this year's P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) Summit and Colombia will host next year's event, the two leaders agreed on joint efforts for responding to climate change.

After their talks, they adopted a joint statement on their vision for the development of a new bilateral relationship.

The statement featured the two leaders' agreement on exercising and strengthening their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), which took effect in 2016, for recovery of the economy and society after the pandemic.

President Moon welcomed Colombia's intent to join the inter-governmental forum Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. President Duque also agreed to support the quick start of Korea's negotiations with the Pacific Alliance for entry as an associate member.

The statement also featured measures to improve bilateral cooperation in the defense industry and national defense. With the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition to open in October next year, the two countries agreed to resume a joint committee on national defense and enhance cooperation in the defense industry and military procurement.

The Colombian leader also expressed his willingness to join the Seoul-based International Vaccine Institute, a move that President Moon welcomed. 

To mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties next year, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in cultural content including movies and music to boost bilateral exchanges in culture, art, sports and tourism.

Colombia was the only Latin American country to send troops to the Korean War. Since the effectuation of the FTA in 2016, the nation has had one of the three largest economies on its continent through constant expansion of trade, Cheong Wa Dae said.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr