U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to Colombia was a success, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe told local media on Monday.

The seven-hour visit on Sunday was successful because Colombia retained U.S. support and proved its capability to guarantee visitors' security, Uribe said.

"Bush and his wife told me that the Bogota plain was beautiful, (and) that the warmth and order of the city had pleased them greatly," the president said.

He also highlighted the fact that Bush and his wife were able to travel through the city freely together with a military escort.

Colombia's Ambassador to the United States Carolina Barco called the visit a "very positive" one, saying Bush had taken home an image of a country that is making progress.

Colombia is one of the largest recipients of U.S aid to help fight rebel groups and the illegal drug trade that finances those guerrillas.

Bush was the first U.S. president to travel to the Colombian capital in 25 years. He was last in Colombia in 2004 when he met Uribe in the Caribbean city of Cartagena.

Colombia was the third leg of his five-nation Latin American tour which had also taken him to Brazil and Uruguay. He is currently in Guatemala and will travel next to Mexico.

Source: Xinhua