WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2022) US President Joe Biden said in a memorandum that he officially designated Colombia to be considered a major non-NATO ally to the United States.
"By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America... I hereby designate Colombia as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States for the purposes of the Act and the Arms Export Control Act," Biden said in the memorandum on Monday.
The designation will provide Colombia the opportunity to benefit from special access to US military and economic programs, but it does not provide security guarantees like those given to NATO members.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to his Colombian counterpart last week about US plans to designate Colombia as a major non-NATO ally. The two defense leaders discussed the importance of maintaining a strong US-Colombia defense relationship and strengthening cooperation on strategic issues of mutual concern in Latin America, according to the Defense Department.
