Kevin Sullivan on ABC Regarding President Trump's Meeting with Colombian President Petro
Kevin Sullivan on ABC Regarding President Trump's Meeting with Colombian President Petro
"Colombia and the U.S. need each other to accomplish their goals," said the AS/COA vice president to the network.
In an interview with ABC News, Ambassador (ret.) Kevin Sullivan, vice president of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and head of the AS/COA Washington office, spoke with journalist Linsey Davis about the implications of the February 3 meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House.
Despite recent tensions between the two leaders, Sullivan described the meeting as "a big step for both countries" and noted that cooperation is essential for Trump and Petro to address security and economic issues in the Western Hemisphere.
"Colombia and the U.S. need each other to accomplish their goals, and particularly President Trump in Venezuela and in the fight against criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere, which is very important for him," said the expert.
When it comes to Venezuela, Sullivan pointed out that President Trump's goals with Venezuela would be facilitated if he could count on Petro "to help with battling criminal organizations along the borders and also cooperating to provide Venezuela electricity."
When asked if the meeting resolved the tensions between the two leaders, Sullivan said: "It definitely got over the difficulties and misunderstandings that have occurred up until now. But all this is going to require some detailed follow-up, which is going to be the job of diplomats on both sides—to keep those channels open and keep the tone respectful."
As Petro enters his final months in office before the presidential election in August, Sullivan noted that this meeting provides a sense of relief to the Colombian public. "The fact that the two presidents are getting along again will give people a lot of hope," he added.x
