HOW COLOMBIA–JAPAN RELATIONS ARE TAKING SHAPE WITH THE INCOMING GOVERNMENT?

Written by: Celeste Moltavan, Intern CCJCI.

What Was Discussed During The President-Elect’s Meet with Japan’s Ambassador?

On July 9 in Bogotá, president-elect Abelardo De La Espriella held a meeting with Japan’s ambassador to Colombia, Shimizu Toru, as part of the international agenda pursued by the incoming government to strengthen diplomatic, commercial, and strategic ties between the two nations. The designated Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Mauricio Gómez Amín, attended the meeting and will be responsible for much of the implementation of what was agreed there.

According to the press office of the president-elect, the meeting reviewed a roadmap to expand, diversify, and deepen bilateral cooperation: strengthening trade exchange, attracting new investment, promoting tourism, driving innovation, and opening new high-value markets for Colombian products. De La Espriella reaffirmed that Japan will be a strategic partner for Colombia in building the “Patria Milagro,” stressing that the relationship must be based on mutual respect, trust, technology, development, and the higher interest of the Nation.

Source: LaRepublica     

“Japan will be a strategic ally of Colombia in the Patria Milagro. We will work so that our products reach more markets, to attract more investment to the country, and so the world knows the productive capacity, the richness, the beauty, and the grit of Colombia.”

The meeting also advanced concrete export opportunities to Japan for Colombian industry, agriculture, entrepreneurs, and companies. The incoming government reiterated that it will continue pushing negotiations to make the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Colombia and Japan a reality, calling it a strategic priority to strengthen economic integration and expand trade between the two countries.

The meeting took place at a moment when the incoming government seeks to quickly capitalize on its first weeks of international agenda: starting August 7, the day of the presidential inauguration, Colombia will confirm its participation in the International Horticultural Expo 2027 (GREEN×EXPO 2027) in Yokohama, a showcase that De La Espriella’s team presents as an opportunity to display to the world Colombia’s biodiversity, talent, wealth, and export potential. Taken together, the meeting with Ambassador Shimizu Toru confirms that Japan occupies an early and visible place in the foreign policy of the incoming government, and that relaunching the EPA will be one of the first fronts of the bilateral trade agenda after the inauguration.

Who Is the New Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism?

Photo: Mauricio Gómez / Facebook

Mauricio Gómez Amín is a lawyer and politician born in Barranquilla, with studies in Public Law and in Political Management and Governance at the Universidad del Rosario. His career combines service in Congress and regional political activity in Colombia’s Caribbean region: former senator of the Republic and former representative to the House, beginning his legislative career from the Caribbean. He was appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism as part of a package of six cabinet appointments announced by the president-elect.

In his role, he has identified as priorities the promotion of non-traditional exports, attraction of foreign investment, and strengthening of tourism. His presence at the meeting with Japan’s ambassador confirms that he will be the visible face of bilateral commercial relations, including negotiation of the EPA, once the government takes office on August 7.

Who Is the New Minister of Foreign Affairs?

Source: Santiago Ramírez Marín

Omar Bula Escobar is a Colombian diplomat and academic with more than two decades of international experience, appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs on July 8, 2026, in president-elect Abelardo De La Espriella’s cabinet. His training includes an MBA from the University of Barcelona, studies at Harvard Business School and George Washington School of Business, and teaching experience at Universidad Sergio Arboleda.

His career combines representing Colombia in international organizations and participating in humanitarian missions in contexts of war and crisis, especially at the UN. He has identified as priorities the institutional re-engineering of the Foreign Ministry, professionalization of the foreign service, defense of national interest with pragmatism and firmness, and repositioning Colombia as a relevant actor in the hemisphere.

What the “Patria Milagro” Could Mean for Bilateral Relations with Japan

If Abelardo De La Espriella’s government succeeds in consolidating the so-called Patria Milagro through verifiable improvements in security, institutional stability, and economic growth, this could strengthen Colombia’s perception as a more attractive destination for Japanese investment. Japanese companies typically prioritize predictable, low-risk environments before committing long-term capital.

In this sense, progress on these fronts could facilitate greater participation in strategic sectors such as infrastructure, energy, critical minerals, manufacturing, and logistics, while reinforcing trust and deepening bilateral economic cooperation between Colombia and Japan.

Source: Mascolombia

Sources:

• El Espectador

• El Tiempo

• La Republica