WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro described their nearly two-hour closed-door talks at the White House on Tuesday as friendly, signalling a warming of relations after months of tension between the two countries.
"We had a very good meeting," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "I thought he (Petro) was terrific."
Petro said at a news conference at the Colombian Embassy in Washington that the two leaders discussed cooperation on counternarcotics efforts and ways to support economic and energy projects related to Venezuela.
The meeting ended with "a positive and optimistic view," said Petro.
The Colombian president added that he had invited Trump to visit the Caribbean city of Cartagena and requested U.S. assistance in mediating a trade dispute between Colombia and Ecuador, according to reports.
The meeting came after months of strained ties marked by heated exchanges. Trump had publicly accused Petro of failing to control drug trafficking and warned of punitive actions, including higher tariffs and reduced U.S. aid.
Petro has accused the United States of using its anti-drug policy as a pretext to justify the use of force in the Caribbean region. His U.S. visa was revoked in September 2025 after he participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in New York and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump's orders.
While the talks suggested a tentative thaw in personal relations between the two leaders, deep disagreements over security, drug policy and regional military actions remain unresolved, analysts said. ■