Chile, Colombia Agree to Intensify Anti-Drug Cooperation

Chile, Colombia agree to intensify anti-drug cooperation

SANTIAGO, July 1 (Xinhua) — Chile and Colombia have agreed to intensify bilateral cooperation in fighting drug trafficking, the Chilean Foreign Ministry announced Friday.

In a communique, the ministry said the two Latin American countries held the third meeting of the Chile-Colombia Technical Committee on June 29-30 in Santiago.

Created by the Agreement on Mutual Cooperation for the Prevention of the Illegal Use and Control of Illicit Trafficking of Drugs, the committee reviewed the joint efforts which had reduced drug demand and supply. It decided to take more concrete actions against drug trafficking, the communique said without elaborating on details of joint steps.

During the session, officials also discussed the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users within the framework of the National Drug Strategy 2003-2008.

The Colombian delegation was headed by Victoria Eugenia Restrepo, director of the Presidential Program on Illicit- Plantations. The program includes projects aimed at the voluntary destruction of illegal crops, according to the communique.

Colombia is the largest producer and exporter of illicit drugs in the world. The main market for Colombian cocaine is the United States, which has given Bogota 3.3 billion US dollars through the Plan Colombia aid package to fight drug trafficking since 2000.