Pubdate: Tue, 15 May 2001
Source: Agence France-Presses
Copyright: 2001 AFP
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1128

COLOMBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA COMMIT TO FIGHT DRUG TRAFFICKING

BOGOTA -- In an official visit to Colombia, South African Deputy President 
Jacob Zuma on Monday signed an agreement with his South American 
counterpart Gustavo Bell to cooperate in the fight against drug trafficking.

The document shows both countries' intent to establish a bilateral 
committee of top-level officials enjoined to find solutions to the drug 
problem and to report back to their respective governments in the next six 
months, the state news agency Ancol explained.

Meeting officially for the first time ever, the leaders of the two 
countries hoped to share experiences and strategies for bringing peace to 
their oft-turbulent nations and to see how Colombia might help foster 
dialogue in other strife-ridden African nations.

"Drug trafficking and related crimes are a transnational crisis that affect 
countries worldwide and need to be treated with multilateral cooperation in 
the search for joint solutions," the two vice presidents said in a 
statement reported by Ancol.

"Adopting measures to face the worldwide problem of drugs is a common and 
shared responsibility requiring an integral approach that conforms with the 
principal of international law."

Zuma also met Monday with Colombian President Andres Pastrana, Foreign 
Minister Guillermo Fernandez de Soto and the country's High Commissioner 
for Peace, Camilio Gomez.

The trip is the second stop for Zuma on a week-long visit that also 
included a stop in Mexico aimed at building ties and improving trade 
relations in Latin America.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom