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.