HONDURAS, U.S. TO SIGN DRUGS, IMMIGRATION ACCORDS

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Honduras and the United States
are due to sign bilateral agreements on drug trafficking and immigration
policies when U.S. President Bill Clinton visits next month, a Honduran
official said on Monday.

"Prior to the visit by President Bill Clinton, there are some conventions
to be signed in reference to questions about migration and drug
trafficking," said Honduras' minister for security, Elizabeth Chiuz.

Chiuz declined to offer details of the agreements, which were set to be
signed officially by Honduran President Carlos Flores during Clinton's
visit March 9. The Honduran stop is part of Clinton's March 8-11 trip to
Central America.

Honduran officials for several months have been negotiating an anti-drug
trafficking accord with Washington amid fears that Honduran waters
increasingly are being used as part of a route for illegal narcotics trade
from South America to the United States.

An estimated 80,000 Hondurans live as illegal immigrants in the United
States. Many of them fled their native land following the devastation
caused in October 1998 by Hurricane Mitch, which left thousands dead.