H.E. Iván Duque Márquez, President of Colombia, gives Canning Lecture

As part of his first official visit to the UK, H.E. Iván Duque Márquez, President of Colombia, gave a Canning Lecture on Monday 17th June in London.

After welcoming words from Lord Mountevans, Canning House Honorary President, Mark Menzies MP, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Argentina, Colombia, Chile & Peru, introduced the President, affirming the UK government's commitment to continue strengthening trade relations with Colombia.

His Excellency's lecture highlighted how rule of law and entrepreneurship are essentially interconnected, and fundamental in order to build a fair and open society. While noting that Colombia faces a number of challenges, President Duque pointed to the many opportunities opening up in the country, and the progress the government has made in just 10 months since being elected to tackle poverty, boost innovation in diverse sectors, and promote sustainable development. 

His Excellency thanked Canning House for the invitation to give the lecture, acknowledging the important role George Canning played in Colombian independence, and vowing to persevere with his legacy of strengthening UK-Colombia relations. 

Special thanks to our Primary Sponsor Brennnan & Partners, to our Partner Sponsors Shell & the British Colombian Chamber of Commerce, and our Associate Sponsor Amerisur Resources.

‪H.E. Iván Duque Márquez, President of Colombia, pictured (L-R) with H.E. Antonio José Ardila, Colombian Ambassador to the UK; Cristina Cortes, Canning House CEO; Lord Mountevans, Canning House Honorary President; Beatriz Araujo, Canning House Chair; and H.E. Iván Romero Martínez, Dean of GRULA & Ambassador of Honduras.

For more information on the event, click here.