MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with his visiting Colombian counterpart, Luis Gilberto Murillo, to discuss the process of intra-Colombian peace settlement and a range of international and regional topics.

According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the ministers will discuss the current status and future prospects of bilateral cooperation in political, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian fields.

"The sides will hold an exchange of views on key international and regional issues, as well as on cooperation within the United Nations, where Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, consistently supports the process of intra-Colombian peace settlement. Naturally, the agenda will also address matters on other international platforms," she emphasized.

Colombian mercenaries

The issues of Colombian mercenaries recruited by Kiev to fight against Russia is expected to be on the agenda of the talks. In September, Bogota said that it had information about three Colombian nationals who had been detained in Russia on corresponding charges and issued a diplomatic note to the Russian foreign ministry requesting information about their legal status, whereabouts and health, as well as asking for consular access to them. Apart from that, Colombia used diplomatic channels to stop recruiting of its nationals for participation in combat operations abroad. The country’s top diplomat submitted to parliament a bill on the ratification of an international convention on combating recruiting mercenaries.

 

The situation in the Middle East

 

Another pressing issues on the talks’ agenda is likely to be the Middle East conflict. Both countries have repeatedly stressed the need for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and invigorating the process of political settlement on the basis of the two-state solution. But in early May, Bogota took a more radical position and severed diplomatic relations with Israel.

Meanwhile, Moscow continues to maintain uninterrupted dialogue with all the parties to the conflict and is making efforts toward a diplomatic settlement.

 

BRICS prospects

 

Colombia’s prospects for joining BRICS’ activities are also expected to be discussed by the two top diplomats. Earlier, Brazilian Ambassador Rodrigo Baena Soares told TASS that his country, which will take over BRICS presidency from Russia, has proposed Colombia as potential new member of the organization.

The top Colombian diplomat is visiting Moscow from November 12 through 15.