The Foreign Ministers of Colombia and Venezuela, Carolina Barco and Alí Rodríguez Araque, respectively, Thursday offered a news conference following a bilateral meeting in Caracas.

Barco said they are working together to build bridges aimed at advancing bilateral integration, and "above all, to keep in effect all of the international mechanisms that have allowed a smooth dialogue and the fulfillment of specific projects in so many areas."

The Colombian diplomat added that by July 21, the Presidential Committee on Integration and Border Issues (Copiaf) would hold a meeting to review relevant cooperation issues.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan minister described the encounter as a "total success" that sums up all the hard work previous to the meeting.

"We covered a wide agenda, including trade exchange, energy, physical integration, functioning of bilateral mechanisms, environment, among many other topics," Rodríguez added.

Rodríguez confirmed that the construction of a gas pipeline linking Colombian Guajira to Venezuelan Zulia state will begin on July 8th, saying that energy integration is vital for development and economy in both countries.