Venezuela, Colombia cancel meeting of their presidents without explanation

BOGOTA, March 12 (Reuters) - ‌Venezuela and Colombia ​cancelled ​a meeting of their presidents slated for Friday without explanation, an encounter that would have ‌been the Venezuelan leader's first with a foreign ⁠counterpart since she replaced ousted predecessor Nicolas Maduro in January.

In a ‌joint statement on Thursday, ‌Venezuela and Colombia attributed cancellation of the meeting between Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez and Colombian President Gustavo ​Petro to "force majeure," a term meaning extraordinary or unforeseeable circumstances. But they gave no details, saying they intended ⁠to reschedule soon.

News of the cancellation followed a phone call on Thursday between ​Petro and U.S. President Donald Trump, who wished Petro success in the meeting with Rodriguez, ​according to a statement from ‌Petro's office.

"The governments of Colombia and Venezuela reiterate their willingness to strengthen trust, cooperation, and ⁠bilateral relations by promoting opportunities for the development and integration of border territories," the statement by the two countries said.

Petro and ⁠Trump discussed the economy along the Colombia-Venezuela border, which was expected ​to be the top topic at the Petro-Rodriguez meeting, the statement from Petro's office said.

Trump has supported a series of moves ‌by Rodriguez, formerly Venezuela's vice president, to attract investors in oil and mining and stabilize the country ‌since the U.S. raid that captured Maduro, with Trump ⁠repeatedly praising Rodriguez for ‌her cooperation with ​the U.S.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by David Gregorio and Cynthia ‌Osterman)

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