Internal coordination meeting of the Colombian delegation to Ecuador, February 6, 2026. Photo: X/@CancilleriaCol.
The governments of Colombia and Ecuador started high-level bilateral negotiations with an official meeting in Quito. The talks are aimed at re-establishing diplomatic dialogue and advancing joint solutions in matters of security, trade, and border cooperation, as reported by the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
The official visit began on Friday, February 6, with an internal coordination meeting of the Colombian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, focused on defining positions and strategic priorities before the formal dialogue with the Ecuadorian authorities.
According to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting with the Ecuadorian delegation is the result of a direct instruction from President Gustavo Petro. It is part of the policy of good neighborliness, cooperation, and regional integration.
🇨🇴🇪🇨 Colombia y Ecuador activan agenda bilateral de alto nivel en Quito.
La Canciller @ryvillavicencio inició la visita oficial con una reunión de coordinación junto a la delegación colombiana, orientada a fortalecer la cooperación y avanzar en soluciones conjuntas sobre temas… pic.twitter.com/SR87cDnZWy
— CancillerĂa Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) February 6, 2026
The Colombian delegation is composed of Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, officials at the deputy ministerial level, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Commerce, Industry and Tourism; Mines and Energy; Justice and Law, and representatives from the oil company Ecopetrol.
The central objective of the dialogue is to reach an understanding in security and defense, as well as to define concrete steps for the re-establishment of bilateral exchanges, particularly in the border, commercial, and energy sectors.
In an official statement, the Colombian Foreign Ministry indicated that its delegation is attending the meeting with a complete willingness to engage in dialogue and an openness to find concrete solutions to Ecuador’s unilateral measures that have affected relations between the two countries in recent weeks.
For its part, the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry reported that the meeting will be held privately and without media coverage, emphasizing the event’s confidential and technical nature.
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The reactivation of bilateral dialogue comes amid increased tensions between Colombia and Ecuador.
Since February 1, Ecuador has applied a 30% tariff on Colombian imports, a measure formalized through a resolution by the National Customs Service of Ecuador. The Ecuadorian government justified the decision as a “security fee,” arguing that Colombia’s actions in combating crime and cross-border insecurity were insufficient.
In response, Colombia announced the imposition of tariffs on Ecuadorian products, although their effective application has not yet begun.
This high-level meeting is being considered as an attempt to de-escalate the conflict, restore institutional channels, and prevent further deterioration of the bilateral relationship, which is key to political, economic, and security stability in the region.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SF
