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Itongadol.- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning a rare visit to Colombia and Mexico in April, in an effort to bolster economic ties with the Latin American Pacific Alliance free-trade bloc.
In recent days, Netanyahu spoke with the leaders of the Pacific Alliance countries — Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile — and Israel has been granted membership in the trade bloc as an observer state.
Netanyahu accepted the invitations of both Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to visit their respective countries.
The Pacific Alliance countries are considered pro-United States, anti-Iran and friendly toward Israel. Among Netanyahu\’s goals for the visit is to strengthen ties between Israel and Hispanic communities, both those in their home countries and those in the U.S.
At the beginning of March, Netanyahu is scheduled to make a five-day trip to the United States. There, he will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington and deliver a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Netanyahu also has plans to visit the West Coast, where he will make stops in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, and he will make an effort to strengthen the bonds between Israel and the Hispanic community in the U.S.