Colombia to become Nato's first partner in Latin America
Colombia will become Nato's first partner in Latin America in recognition of the country's battle-tested military.
President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday that the country's entry into the military alliance's global partnership programme would take place next week in Brussels.
A Nato spokeswoman said today 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 would help in training a military that confronts threats from transnational criminal networks and instability in neighbouring Venezuela.
