CARACAS, Friday November 25, 2005 | Update
President Hugo Chávez welcomed his Colombian counterpart at the airplane stairways early on Thursday (Photo: Miraflores Press Office)
EL UNIVERSAL
Venezuelan and Colombian Presidents Hugo Chávez and
Álvaro Uribe Thursday initialed a presidential declaration
on energy issues and sealed the construction by Venezuelan
state oil firm Pdvsa of a USD 300 million, 230 kilometer gas
pipeline that is to link the Paraguaná refining complex
(CPR), in northwestern Falcón state, to Punta Ballenas,
in the Colombian Guajira.
In a joint press conference, marked by camaraderie and jokes
between the two rulers, Chávez said: "Since political
willingness has been ratified, let us use the months to come
so that we can start building the gas pipe as early as possible
in 2006."
He expects the pipeline can be completed "in 18 months to
two years. In 2008, we will be opening the valves to bring
gas from Ballenas to Zulia state and Paraguaná."
He explained that the pipe's first section is to comprise
230 kilometers, but it will be extended to the Colombian western
coast "to reach Panama and link to Central America."
Meanwhile, Uribe described the meeting with his Venezuelan
counterpart at the Paraguaná refining complex as "fruitful,"
stressing that Venezuela is to be "owner and operator (of
the pipeline), and of course it is to charge fees to companies
exporting gas from Colombia to Venezuela in a first phase"
and then in the other direction.
"We have reiterated Colombian political willingness to accept
the layout by Venezuela of the oil pipeline or the multi-purpose
pipeline from the production sites it may define to the Colombian
Pacific in order to facilitate exports from a Colombian port
to all over the Pacific and, of course, eyeing the Asian markets.
We have also agreed that the project will have also in Colombia
some stations that will add value and for the purposes of
improving the fuel," Uribe added in reference to other aspects
of the deal during the news conference.
In order to fight Venezuelan fuel smuggling into Colombia,
Chávez and Uribe vowed to speed up an agreement -expected
to enter into force as of December 19- under which the state
Colombian Oil Company (ECOPETROL) is purchase fuel directly
from Pdvsa and distribute it in La Guajira region.
"It is also to include informal fuel distributors known as
'pimpineros' and to create a bilateral fund for social projects
in the border area," Uribe clarified.
He reported that his government has decided to sell a stake
in bilateral firm Monómeros Colombo-Venezolanos, based
in Medellín. Chávez said Venezuela is to take full
control over the corporation. The Venezuelan ruler is to visit
Colombia in December, accepting an invitation from Uribe.
According to Chávez, initialization of the gas pipeline
agreement is taking "integration beyond thought currents,
economic and social ups and downs."
Colombian and Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Ministers Carolina
Barco and Alí Rodríguez, respectively, assessed
other major bilateral issues.
Translated by Maryflor
Suárez R.
04:20 PM. Western Hemisphere. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said on Tuesday that governments should ensure citizens' rights to live on the border, in reference to a political and diplomatic crisis with Venezuela and its effects on border residents.