"This program is aimed at creating the integrity of the armed forces. This does not mean that Colombia is becoming a member of NATO. We are not going to participate in NATO military operations," the president explained.
On Friday, Santos announced that an agreement on the country's partnership with NATO had been concluded, noting that Colombia would become the only country in Latin America to have such a privilege.
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Colombia's status as a NATO partner will be formalized in Brussels on May 31.
The country has recently ended the civil war, signing a peace deal with the FARC movement in November 2016 after more than 50 years of clashes, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.