Colombia becomes NATO partner in Latin America

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombia will become NATO's first partner in Latin America in recognition of the country's battle-tested military.

President Juan Manuel Santos on Friday said that the country's entry into the military alliance's global partnership program will take place next week in Brussels.

A NATO spokeswoman said Saturday that Colombia's ties to the group have steadily advanced since 2013. In 2015 Colombia contributed a vessel to NATO's Operation Ocean Shield to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa.

The partners include nations such as Japan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Mongolia and Iraq that work with NATO in some areas. Colombian authorities said the partnership will help in training a military that confronts threats from transnational criminal networks and instability in neighboring Venezuela.

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.