Venezuela withdraws troops from border with Colombia

CARACAS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela began to withdraw some 4,000 troops from its border with Colombia on Tuesday after the nation's President Hugo Chavez ordered normalization of Venezuela-Colombia relations.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Colombia on Sunday after Ecuador and Colombia agreed to bury their differences Friday at the Rio Group summit in the Dominican Republic.

Venezuela said its soldiers, which had been on high alert after a March 2 mission to the Colombian border, were returned to base by Russian-made MI-26 helicopters and that its diplomats had returned to Colombia Monday.

Ecuador also broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia after Colombian troops entered Ecuadorian territory on March 1 to attack a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Venezuela also condemned the attack and sent troops to its border with Colombia.