In the meeting that President Iván Duque held yesterday with his American counterpart Joe Biden, in the White House, the main topic that was discussed was the intention that the North American country has to add to Colombia as Non-NATO Main Ally or MNNA, for its acronym in English.
(You can read: Biden and Duque: what is coming for Colombia as an extra NATO ally).
This means that the country would have a special status and would enjoy economic and military privilegessuch as inclusion in research and development programs with the Department of Defense and permission to use credits from the US financial system to purchase or lease defense equipment.
Other benefits, as described in this newspaper, would be participation in anti-terrorism programs, priority in the delivery of US military surpluses that the country acquires, equipment loans for research projects, access to air space technology and reciprocal training.
At the moment They are 17 nations that have this statusincluding two Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Jordan, New Zealand, Thailand, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Bahrain, the Philippines, Afghanistan and Tunisia.
Now, for Colombia to be officially declared an extra-NATO ally, Biden notified the US Congress of his decision, a body that has 30 days to consult it and, subsequently, formalize it.
(Also read: Iván Duque offered Joe Biden Colombian oil).
The declaration of Colombia as a Principal Non-NATO Ally by the President @POTUS, @JoeBiden, It’s very important; It includes opportunities in commercial, investment and security matters. This is very significant, knowing that it is a status that very few countries in the world have had. pic.twitter.com/PCLHoHM9Qo
– Ivan Duke 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) March 11, 2022
Although the MNNA provides various benefits and symbolizes closeness in bilateral relations, it does not imply a mutual defense clause as is the case with the 30 members of NATO.
It is important to remember that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military cooperation pact in the event of armed aggression against each of the countries that comprise it.
It was instituted after World War II, when the Washington Treaty was signed in 1949 by 12 countries: the United States, Belgium, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Italy, Iceland and Luxembourg, Norway and Denmark. .
In subsequent years, 18 other nations joined: Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
More news:
– This is how the Duque-Biden meeting came out, but what about Venezuela?
– Duque’s meeting with US senators in Washington
ELTIEMPO.COM
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