US defence secretary Hagel speaks with Colombian counterpart

The Pentagon said Wednesday that U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke with Colombian Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon by telephone late Tuesday. Pentagon spokesman Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement that Hagel reaffirmed the importance of the relationship between the two countries and that the Defense Department is committed to further strengthening the partnership. “In addition to Colombia’s excellent progress in defense transformation and in consolidating gains in internal security, Secretary Hagel and Minister Pinzon also discussed opportunities for the United States and Colombia to continue close collaboration on various security issues, including in preparation for the Eleventh Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas, to be held in Peru later this year,” Kirby said.