CLINTON, COLOMBIAN CHIEF AGREE TO ANTI-DRUG EFFORT

WASHINGTON -- Signaling a new era of cooperation, President Clinton
and Colombian President Andres Pastrana agreed Wednesday to join
forces in combating the production, trafficking and consumption of
drugs.

With Pastrana at his side on the White House South Lawn, Clinton also
announced $280 million in new assistance to Colombia, supplementing
$200 million approved last week by Congress.

The new money will be used to counter drug activity as well as for
development efforts. The combined program will make Colombia by far
the largest U.S. aid recipient in the hemisphere.

Clinton also announced an agreement on using the proceeds from assets
forfeited by drug traffickers to bolster counternarcotics efforts in
the South American nation.

For his part, Pastrana hailed a "new era in relations between Colombia
and the United States." United, he added, "there is much that we can
achieve."

At another point, he said, "I came here with the hope of forging an
alliance with President Clinton and the United States, and I will
leave having established a true friendship with the president and I
hope with his nation."

The counterdrug agreement signed by the two countries is known as the
"Alliance Against Drugs." A joint comunique said the alliance commits
the two countries "to use all means at their disposal to stem
narcotics production, trafficking, consumption and related crimes."

The two leaders agreed that "education, prevention, law enforcement,
judicial action, extradition of narcotraffickers, aerial and other
forms of eradication, alternative development and efforts to end armed
conflict are all essential elements in the overall strategy to combat
illegal drugs," the comunique said.

The fistful of agreements coupled with the warm expressions of
friendship contrasted sharply with the mood before Pastrana took
office in August. At that time, Colombia was still being led by
President Ernesto Samper, who was widely suspected of having links to
narcotraffickers.

The Clinton administration showed its disdain for Samper by revoking
his U.S. visa in 1996. For much of Samper's four-year tenure, Colombia
was under U.S. economic sanctions for not fully cooperating with
American anti-drug efforts.

At the start of his state visit, the first by a Colombian president in
23 years, Pastrana was treated to full military honors at a South Lawn
ceremony, including a 21-gun salute. There, he expressed his hope for
an eventual "drug-free hemisphere."

Colombia is burdened not only by drug trafficking but also by a weak
economy and a decades-old civil conflict that involves the armed
forces, leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary groups. On
Wednesday, authorities said at least seven soldiers and two police
officers were killed and 16 wounded during an attack on the

northeastern town of Hacari by more than 150 leftist rebels.

Clinton and Pastrana also expressed concern over widespread human
rights abuses, of which the paramilitary groups are reportedly the
principal perpetrator.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady