Oana Țoiu and Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy Inaugurate Reopening of Embassy of Colombia in Bucharest After 24 Years
Bucharest, The Gulf Observer: Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu on Wednesday inaugurated the reopening of the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia in Bucharest alongside her Colombian counterpart, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy, marking the restoration of Colombia’s diplomatic presence in Romania after a 24-year absence.
The visit of the Colombian foreign minister represents the first bilateral visit at the level of foreign ministers between the two countries since 1994, signaling a renewed commitment to strengthening diplomatic and strategic ties.
The agenda included political consultations, the official reopening ceremony of the Colombian Embassy in Bucharest, and the joint signing of a Declaration of Intent on collaboration in the fields of sports and cultural diplomacy. Through the Declaration on the Promotion of Culture and Sports for Youth, both sides aim to transform sports diplomacy into a cornerstone of bilateral relations, using sport and education as key instruments to enhance youth engagement, academic exchanges, and people-to-people contacts.
Discussions also covered the expansion of Romanian-Colombian relations in areas such as economy, trade, cybersecurity, digitalization, climate change, biodiversity, culture, and education, as well as cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and drug trafficking.
Minister Țoiu noted that bilateral trade increased by 64 percent last year, with Romania maintaining a positive trade balance. She highlighted the potential for further growth, including the exchange of high-demand products without local equivalents, such as coffee and cocoa.
Both ministers reaffirmed their intention to deepen cooperation, with Romania expressing greater engagement with Latin America and Colombia recognizing Romania as an important partner within the European Union. The discussions also included strengthened inter-institutional collaboration to address organized crime and drug trafficking, issues seen as posing significant risks to youth.
During the meeting, Colombia reiterated its support for Romania’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), of which Colombia is a member. The ministers also reviewed progress made in working groups and recent achievements by Romania in evaluations related to international tax cooperation.
The visit concluded with the unveiling of a special philatelic tribute panel titled “Romanian-Colombian Friendship Bridges,” symbolizing the renewed partnership and growing diplomatic ties between the two nations.
