PEOPLE & EVENTS

Colombia marks 203rd Independence Day

Ambassador Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente of the Republic of Columbia and Mrs. Claudia de Cabal hosted a reception at the Millennium Seoul Hilton on July 17, 2013 to celebrate the 203rd Independence Day of Colombia.

There were many distinguished guests from Korean society and from the Seoul Diplomatic Corps and other segments of foreign community in Korea.

Among the Korean guests were Minister Park Sung-choon of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, President Kim Sung-Tae of the Korea-Colombia Parliamentarians’ Friendship Association, and Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post.

Attendance from the SDC and other segments of foreign community was also very large, who included Ambassador Vitali V. Fen of Uzbekistan (dean of the SDC), Edmundo Sussumu Fujita of Brazil, Manuel Lopez Trigo of Costa Rica, Margaret Clarke-Kwesi of Ghana, Kaman Singh Lama of Nepal, Jaime Antonio of Peru, Luis T. Cruz of the Philippines, Calin Fabian of Romania, Watte Walawwe Tissa Wijeratne of Sri Lanka, Vasyl Marmazov of Ukraine and Alba Rosa Florio Legnani of Uruguay. There also were Charge d’affaires Yadira Hidalgo de Ortiz of Venezuela, Augusto Cesar Granada of Argentina and Ramzi Teymurov of Azerbaijan,
Speaking to the guests, Ambassador Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente of Colombia said in part “The relations between the two countries are experiencing their best historic moment, with a promising agenda towards the future, within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement signed on February 21st, this year, which will allow us to continue the constant increase of our commercial exchange, as well as the levels of investment and cooperation, bearing in mind the cultural exchange and the enhanced acquaintance and friendship between our People.” Excerpts from the speech follow:

Tonight, is a very special night for us Colombians and we would like to share it with all of you, as our special guests in this event.

On this day, we celebrate one more year since the great deed of our struggle for Independence, that 203 years ago, close to this same date, was being fought in search of the freedom of the People of Colombia.

It was then, on July 20th, 1810, that a handful of brave Colombians under the command of our National Hero, Simon Bolivar, reached this valuable gift, giving birth to the establishment of the pillars of one of the oldest and most solid democracies in America, which has been able to overcome the difficulties that time has brought.

After two hundred years, and on these first decades of the 21st Century, that fly by in such an accelerated manner, Colombia is presented to the world as a modern country, global, with high and stable economic growth rates, increasing foreign commerce and investment, which has brought as a consequence the drastic reduction of the levels of poverty and the rise of the welfare and the rate of socioeconomic development.

As one of the most bio diverse countries in the world, and through its path towards progress, Colombia is aiming for a sustainable development, prosperity for our People but keeping in mind our environmental responsibilities.

We also want to recall in a very special way another event that took place around this same date, only 60 years ago, while searching for the peace and freedom of the Korean People, the signing of the Armistice Agreement, which suspended indefinitely the Korean War on July 27th, 1953. This is the reason why we have specially invited His Excellency Park Sung Choon, Minister of Patriots and Veteran Affairs, to share his words with us.

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