ALBRIGHT MEETS BRAZILIAN OFFICIALS

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stressed the
need to preserve the region's democratic advances and boost free trade on
Tuesday during meetings with top Brazilian officials.

Albright met with President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Foreign Minister
Luiz Felipe Lampreia during her five-hour stay in Brazil -- the first leg
of her whirlwind five-day tour that will also take her to Argentina, Chile,
Ecuador and Bolivia.

"We discussed the need to ensure that the democratic tide continues to rise
in the Western Hemisphere," Albright said at a news conference before
leaving for Argentina. "Over the past two decades, democracy has made
enormous gains, but in some areas of the region it is experiencing
considerable stress."

She made it clear that she was referring to Peru and Colombia.

Albright said U.S. officials were concerned about the methods President
Alberto Fujimori used to win re-election to a third consecutive term in a
runoff vote that was criticized by international monitors as not meeting
fairness standards.

After the May 28 election, the Organization of American States proposed a
series of measures to strengthen democracy in Peru, including reforms in
the judicial system, strengthening civilian control of the military, and
protecting human rights and freedom of expression and the press.

"I think it is very important that this road map be followed if President
Fujimori wants to have the respectability and credibility within the
international community," she said.

On Colombia, Albright said she, Cardoso and Lampreia "discussed the
importance of backing President (Andres) Pastrana's plan to combat drug
trafficking and restore the economic health of his country."

President Clinton last month approved $1.3 billion in mainly military aid
to help Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producer, fight drug smuggling.

But Lampreia, who was also present at the news conference, said Brazil
would not support the plan, although it but would consider taking part in
peace negotiations to end that country's 36-year civil war.