Quito, Nov 1 (NNN-PL) – US Under Secretary of State for Hemispheric affairs Roberta Jacobson will visit Ecuador next week after postponing the trip on several occasions, sources of the US embassy in Quito announced.

According to a press release, the aim of the visit, set from Sunday through Wednesday, is to strengthen bilateral cooperation on issues of common interest, including education, trade, security, cultural heritage and clean energy.

Jacobson will reportedly meet with high-ranking Ecuadorian government officials, and with representatives of the political, economic and media sectors, as well as with business leaders and representatives of civil society to analyze future collaboration and commitments, the note added.

The US official postponed her trip on several occasions, the last time for health reasons, says the report.

Last September, the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Ricardo Patiño, mentioned among the purposes of Jacobson’s visit that of paving the way for the future visit to Quito of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who Patiño said is interested in discussing sensitive bilateral relations issues.

Ecuador has long demanded clarification from Washington regarding the Central Intelligence Agency’s involvement in an attack bombing back in 2008 in the Ecuadorian locality of Angostura on the border with Colombia to allegedly eliminate leaders of the Colombian guerrilla