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On October 9, 2023, the UK Minister of State for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston MP, and the Colombian Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Germ谩n聽Uma帽a, met in Bogot谩, Colombia,聽for聽the third edition of UK-Colombia trade dialogues.

Ministers welcomed the longstanding and deep bilateral trade relations enjoyed聽between聽Colombia and the United Kingdom and聽committed聽to promote聽inclusive and sustainable trade that drives economic growth, business opportunity and聽job creation.

Ministers agreed on the聽importance of promoting sustainable foreign investment that, through value chains, can result in the development of new technologies and enhance each country鈥檚 competitiveness.

Ministers agreed to work together to increase support for the improvement of regulatory policy of mutual interest to Colombia and the United Kingdom. In addition, the ministers agreed to develop a joint road map as a mechanism to establish a methodology for holding annual UK-Colombia trade dialogues and assessing delivery of joint initiatives and collaboration.

Minister聽Huddleston聽set out the United聽Kingdom鈥檚聽world-class offer聽in聽the聽renewable energy, infrastructure, and life sciences sectors,聽and the potential for closer working to help deliver Colombia鈥� economic, environmental and social ambitions. 聽He聽highlighted the United Kingdom鈥檚 willingness to聽exchange experiences and best practices聽in harnessing innovation and creating聽enabling environments to聽deliver聽for聽citizens聽in these sectors.

Minister Uma帽a expressed Colombia鈥檚 desire to modernise the international and bilateral frameworks governing investments.

Ministers聽celebrated the recent success in delivering joint objectives in key sectors of future growth:

• Renewable Energy:聽Ministers聽agreed to co-ordinate strategies for the regulatory development of hydrogen and offshore wind energy in Colombia to help develop聽the market.

• Life Sciences:聽Ministers welcomed聽the聽practical measures recently taken to support innovation on the sector and agreed that further co-operation can聽help聽deliver聽Colombia deliver its聽healthcare objectives.

• Infrastructure:聽Ministers welcomed the close working on sustainable transport infrastructure, which will be of benefit to Colombian citizens and help meet climate commitments. Ministers聽encouraged聽the implementation of the railway master plan.

• Agribusiness:聽Ministers expressed their pleasure in progress promoting sustainable land use and聽urged continued聽collaboration聽to聽open聽new market opportunities for agricultural products.

Ministers emphasized the importance of working together on the global stage, including in the WTO. 聽They agreed to continue discussions in the run up to next year鈥檚 MC13 to ensure that Ministers are聽able deliver聽tangible progress in areas such as services and climate change聽and safeguard the organisation鈥檚 effectiveness.

Ministers recalled the deep bond of friendship between the two countries, symbolised by the levels of cooperation in trade and investment discussed聽during the Dialogue.聽Minister Huddleston welcomed the progress聽that Colombia had made in聽its peace process and聽offered United Kingdom continued support in helping build sustainable and prosperous聽communities聽in former聽conflict聽areas.