At the meeting the Deputy Prime Minister reinforced the increasingly strong political dialogue between the UK and Colombia and discussed the growing economic relationship; in particular, the deepening science, innovation and education links between the UK and Colombia.

The Deputy Prime Minister has also announced a new bilateral target and investment of £4 billion by 2020, having met the 2015 target of £1.75 billion.

Other issues discussed included:

• the peace process – The Deputy Prime Minister re-emphasised the UK’s support to Colombia in the ongoing peace process as negotiations with the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) continue
• human rights – President Santos’s commitment to establishing a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to human rights abuses was welcomed by the Deputy Prime Minister; they discussed the need to focus on protecting human rights defenders throughout the process