Colombian President Gustavo Petro has arrived in Germany for a three-day state visit. The agenda of the visit was centered around talks on energy and includes meetings with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholzy, as well as representatives from various German industrial sectors.
President Petro asserts that the energy transition has a great potential to save money on imports, an objective the Colombian government hopes to achieve. To that end, Petro proposed cutting down gasoline consumption, which is a large part of imported goods.
The Colombian delegation accompanying the president includes the Minister of Mines and Energy Irene Vélez and President of Ecopetrol Ricardo Roa, as well as other ministers such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs Álvaro Leyva and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Germán Umaña. Some of the activities planned for the visit include a meeting with the Colombian community, a lunch with representatives of German industry, talks at the Bundestag, and a lecture at the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung Foundation. Additionally, President Petro is set to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Fraunhofer Society-Hydrogen Institute and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
In the years ahead, Colombia will face a symbolic moment in its energy transition, as it abandons its long reliance on fossil fuels and transitions to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. President Petro’s visit to Germany is likely to play a major role in this transition as the two countries engage in debates and negotiations over the issue.