Venezuela will immediately restore normal diplomatic relations with Colombia, officials in Caracas have said, after this week's resolution of a regional dispute that had raised the spectre of war.

The foreign ministry said on Sunday that Venezuela would send its diplomats back to Bogota immediately and was ready to receive Colombian diplomats "as soon as possible".

The Venezuelan government "decided to re-establish the normal functioning of its diplomatic relations with the government of the Republic of Colombia," the ministry said in a statement.

A Colombian raid on a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) in Ecuador last week had sparked the region's worst diplomatic crisis in years, with Venezuela and Ecuador sending troops to borders with their US-backed neighbour.

Venezuela also cut ties with Colombia, but following a handshake at a regional summit on Friday, promised to withdraw its troops and quickly normalise relations.


Agencies