Washington, Mar 11 (AP) President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that he intends to designate Colombia as a major non-NATO ally, a step that will provide the Latin American nation with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation.

Biden made the announcement during a White House meeting with outgoing Colombian President Ivan Duque.

Also Read | Yoon Suk-yeol Elected President of South Korea.

"I'm proud to announce that I intend to designate Colombia a major non-NATO ally," Biden said. "That's exactly what you are, a major, major non-NATO ally, and this is a recognition of the unique and close relationship between our countries."

Duque said he appreciated Biden's decision, saying the step recognized "values and the principles that we have shared."

Also Read | Vladimir Putin Warns of Further Spike in Fertiliser Prices if West Creates ‘Difficulties’ for Russia.

Major non-NATO ally is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense, trade and security cooperation, according to the State Department, and is a symbol of the close ties the US shares with such countries.

However, these countries are not entitled to the same security guarantees as full-fledged members of the NATO alliance, as NATO member countries are not obligated to defend a major non-NATO ally that comes under attack. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)