Filed on March 16, 2019 | Last updated on March 16, 2019 at 06.13 am

Colombian passport holders are also exempt from UAE visa requirements.

The UAE and Colombia have signed an agreement on the mutual exemption of prior visa requirements for ordinary passport holders from both countries.

The agreement was signed by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Luz Stella Jara Portilla, Vice Minister of Foreign Relations of Colombia, following their meeting here as part of Sheikh Abdullah's current visit to Colombia.

The meeting, which included a business luncheon in the honour of the UAE top diplomat, addressed the prospects for accelerating bilateral relations in addition to an array of regional and international issues of common concern.

At the end of the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah held a joint news conference with the Vice Minister of Foreign Relations, where he said that relations between the two countries are steadily growing at all fronts, including trade, investment and cultural ties.

"Our relations could expand further to include cooperation in the fields of food security, services and tourism," Sheikh Abdullah said, affirming the UAE's solidarity with Colombia against all forms of terrorism, and extremism.

He noted that the UAE early last month condemned the suicide attack that happened at the General Santander Police Academy in the Colombian capital, Bogota, which left scores of people either dead or injured.

He noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation recently hosted a Spanish-language teaching programme, which was provided by the Colombian government for the ministry's employees in coordination with Universidad del Rosario, extending thanks to all Colombian departments that contributed to the programme.

Sheikh Abdullah also affirmed the UAE support for Colombia's confirmed participation in EXPO 2020 Dubai.

"There are 4000 Colombians living in the UAE and actively contributing to the country's economic development drive," Sheikh Abdullah added.

For her part, the Colombian Vice Minister of Foreign relations hailed the visit of Sheikh Abdullah and underlined its importance in fostering bilateral relations.

She appreciated the UAE's keenness to advance cooperation to the best interest of the two friendly peoples.

Attending the meeting was Salem Rashid Al Oueiss, the UAE Ambassador to Colombia.