US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets with the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Colombia, Diego Andrés Molano Aponte, at the Pentagon, Friday, May 20, 2022, in Washington.
(AP Photo/ (Manuel Balce Cenata/AP)
(CNN) --
The Colombian armed forces will send a team to train the Ukrainian military in demining operations, the Colombian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.
The team of 11 military engineers will be deployed to an unidentified neighboring NATO country where the training will take place.
What does Colombia's agreement with NATO mean and why does it cause controversy?
The announcement comes after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin invited his Colombian counterpart Diego Molano Aponte to join the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
"Colombia as always committed to the values of freedom and human rights and in this case making a concrete contribution as a member and global partner country of NATO," said the Colombian Defense Minister, according to the statement.
DeminingWar in UkraineNATO