General view during a session at the National Assembly, in Caracas, on Sept 20, 2022. (FEDERICO PARRA / AFP)

CARACAS – Legislative delegations from Venezuela's National Assembly and Colombia's Congress met on Friday to set up working commissions for normalizing bilateral ties, said Venezuelan lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez.

State-owned Venezolana de Television reported that 36 Colombian and 32 Venezuelan lawmakers participated in Friday's meeting

Speaking from the Simon Bolivar International Bridge that links the two countries across their shared border, the president of Venezuela's National Assembly described it as "a historic meeting after so many years of difficulties."

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The commissions will address "the common agenda on the border" and promote the new bilateral relations policies agreed to by the leaders of the two countries, he said.

Among the issues the commissions will address are trade, transportation and security, and the need to fully reopen border crossings as soon as possible, said Rodriguez.

Colombian Senator Gloria Florez, president of the Colombian Senate's Second Commission, said the two sides have "a deep commitment to the full reestablishment of diplomatic relations," following years of severed ties.

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State-owned Venezolana de Television reported that 36 Colombian and 32 Venezuelan lawmakers participated in the meeting.